There has never been a footballer as sought after as Erling Haaland. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could have been the dream signatures of each of the world’s great clubs in the last decade and it is likely that Kylian Mbappé will one day fall into this category. However, none of them are currently in the position that Haaland enjoys today. The Norwegian striker can choose any top team he wants.
Barcelona has paid Messi so well over the years and won so many trophies that only now, as he approaches 34 years old, the Argentine star has the opportunity to think about capitalizing on his hierarchy in the free agent market. summer. Even if you decide to leave, your high salary and high demands will put tight limits on your options.
Similarly, Cristiano, the current Juventus striker, was linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid in the best years of his career, until both clubs felt able to let him go. In Mbappé’s case, Paris Saint-Germain’s financial strength will always give them some control over the future of the 22-year-old striker, even if he is a player desired by many.
Haaland’s situation is different: the unique combination of the 20-year-old’s prodigious talent and his contract status at Borussia Dortmund means that when the summer turns, he will be the footballer with the world at his feet. Haaland is the most sought-after property in the sport, even at a time when virtually every major club needed a productive striker. Haaland and his advisers are smart enough to know that they can take a step back, while serving as mere spectators of the struggle to secure their services.
In October 2019, shortly after Haaland scored a hat trick on FC Salzburg’s shirt in his Champions League debut against Genk, his father Alfie told ESPN that every step of Haaland’s career would be based on deep reasoning. , rather than jump to take the first opportunity that presented itself.
“If he has options, you have to be careful what you choose,” Alfie said. “We analyze the history of the club, the technical director, its philosophy.”
Two months later, Haaland vetoed his transfer from Salzburg to Manchester United, favoring Dortmund: all because of the development opportunities offered by his move to Germany. Several sources told ESPN that Haaland and his advisers believe the decision has proven to be the right one over time and that any future move will be based on the same long-term perspective.
There is a growing possibility that the next move will happen this summer, a year before he can invoke the € 75m (£ 64.5m) buyback clause included in his contract with Dortmund. BVB knows that they could sell it for at least double that number after the end of this season and, if they fail to catapult from sixth place in the Bundesliga rankings, be among the top four and qualify for the next edition of the Bundesliga. Champions, the sale of the listed asset could become a financial necessity.
However, which club has the best chance of signing Haaland? Do not be fooled into believing that the Norwegian will simply follow the scent of money to stamp his signature on the most profitable contract on the table.
Basically, every one of the big clubs in the world loves you. United tried unsuccessfully to sign him in the last tournament. Despite this, coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still considers the player he coached as a teenager, when he wore the Molde jersey, as his first target.
For his part, Chelsea also believe he can complete a negotiation for the prodigious Norwegian and take him to play at Stamford Bridge; while Manchester City, after identifying the need to sign a long-term replacement for a Sergio “Kun” Agüero who is about to run out of contract, appears as the main candidate to sign Alfie’s son, who added 41 appearances at City between 2000 and 2002.
The COVID-19 pandemic is very likely to affect Liverpool’s ability to be a major competitor; however, at Anfield he remains interested in the young scorer. For its part, Real Madrid is constantly the subject of rumors about an attempted and costly “Operation Haaland” in the Spanish media.
Juventus have been targeting Haaland since his internship at Molde and could try to sign him again if Cristiano leaves the Torino club, freeing up space in his salary. Regarding Bayern Munich, coach Hansi Flick said that “many things are possible in life. I can’t rule it out “, when asked about the possible interest of the current European champions in signing Haaland, after the young figure of his eternal rival from Germany scored two goals against the Bavarians in Der Klassiker played last weekend.
Sources close to Haaland refuse to reveal the player’s preferences regarding his next club; however, they are aware that the interest of all the teams mentioned above is genuine and that each of them represents different challenges and opportunities. Likewise, everyone has pros and cons.
From the outside, the city seems to offer the perfect package. They have the financial strength to complete an operation and, under Pep Guardiola, they will offer the best chances to compete for the big trophies. City are desperate to win the Champions League, as is Haaland, and it is clear that the combination of the two would be a formidable force.
However, Haaland is a player with ambitions to play in all major leagues in Europe, similar to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and moving to City would prevent this intention. In short, City does not usually lose its big stars; therefore, a jump to Manchester’s Etihad Stadium would be long-term. On the other hand, United would challenge him to become the man to lead the club back to the top of world football, like a modern version of Eric Cantona. United has lost its place among the elite clubs that often fight for the biggest trophies in football, but the commercial value of having Haaland as a star player would be huge, thanks to the huge popularity of the Red Devils globally. And this could be an attractive offer, especially if Solksjaer, which has a close connection with Haaland, remains in the technical direction.
Chelsea could match City and United’s money offers, taking advantage of London’s visible cosmopolitan atmosphere to tempt Haaland to play at Stamford Bridge. Only City surpasses him in the trophies won in England in the last 10 years; As a result, Haaland would sign for a club with the ability to win trophies, despite the fact that it does not have a great regularity, due to the shorter work cycles of its technical directors. Liverpool’s series of losses in recent weeks could cost them their place in the next edition of the Champions League, putting an end to any distant aspiration to sign Haaland. However, if you were tempted by the idea of playing at Anfield and adding your name to the club’s list of legendary characters, the romantic attraction of signing for the reigning Premier League champion could end up convincing you.
In the case of Madrid, meringues can surpass United by their global appeal and the quality of their numbers. They can also give Haaland the opportunity to dominate in the Spanish League, as Cristiano and Messi have done for many years. And, although Madrid’s hierarchy in the Champions League is a strong point of attraction, doubts remain about the White House’s economic capacity to take on Haaland in the post-pandemic era.
Juventus can offer Haaland to play football in the Champions League and another cornerstone on his way to the future. If Haaland succeeds in Italy, he could leave for England or Spain, even before the age of 25.
And then there’s Bayern. Robert Lewandowski has already shown more than the riches waiting for a central striker ready to leave Dortmund to camp at Munich’s Allianz Arena, and Haaland could be the perfect long-term successor for the 32-year-old striker, who also plays for Poland. . Although Bayern, like City, would offer many trophies, but would also aspire to keep him in their ranks for 10 years.
No matter what happens in the future, Haaland would not cease to be the big winner. With such a range of hot clubs on heels, it is impossible to make a wrong choice. Several sources told ESPN that if there is one factor that will not influence Haaland’s next decision, it is money. It all depends on finding the most tempting challenge and captivating you with the most engaging story. This chapter has not yet been written.