For the past two months or so, various reports have named Real Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona as Erling Haaland’s suitors.
On a few occasions, Manchester United’s name has also thrown into the mix, even though Mino Raiola didn’t mention Old Trafford as an option for the Borussia Dortmund star. That, however, has not stopped the Red Devils from being put down as an interested party to sign the striker in the summer.
AS on Thursday explain the Norway international wants to join Los Blancos in the summer and not in 2023, as desired by both the La Liga side and Dortmund.
In the last few hours, BVB made a new contract offer to the 21-year-old, so that he can stay at the club for one more season, ‘receiving the salary he will have in the future in Madrid’.
This would allow Carlo Ancelotti’s side to focus on signing Kylian Mbappé at the end of this season.
Haaland, his father and Raiola will have a ‘final’ meeting with the Bundesliga side later this month. The report states a ‘fierce bidding will begin’ once the two parties confirm the decision to part ways in the next window.
Although Haaland’s release clause is €75m, the cost will rise up to €150m, if agent fees are included. Therefore, it is a ‘strategic issue’ for the Spanish giants since they also need to invest in Mbappé.
Apart from the finances, Real Madrid have ‘very tough enemies’. AS say Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG are among Haaland’s suitors. Along with these sides, there’s Manchester United and Manchester City, who are in ‘with a chance’ to sign a star who has scored 23 goals in all competitions this season.
Despite Barca, Bayern, PSG, the Red Devils and the Cityzens in the picture, the report adds Real Madrid do start the Haaland battle ‘with an advantage’, but ‘everything will depend on where Raiola ends up setting the bar’.
The Madrid club now need to decide whether to go for both the Norwegian and Mbappé in the summer or just focus on the Frenchman alone, thus potentially opening the door for a club like Manchester United to stick their foot in.
