Borussia Dortmund chief Sebastien Kehl has insisted they were happy to sell Erling Haaland to Manchester City this summer as he ‘became a certain burden in the dressing room’.
Haaland joined Manchester City in a £54m deal at the beginning of July following months of speculation about his future.
It had been apparent he would be leaving Borussia Dortmund after two very successful years at the club in which he had continue to rack up goals and establish himself as one of the best strikers in Europe.
The existence of a release clause in his contract made him a tempting target for all the elite sides in Europe, with the figure making him something of a bargain.
Ultimately it was Manchester City who won the race for his signature, finalising a deal that looks likely to be a steal if he continues his flying start to life at the Etihad.
“As much as we always liked Erling, and as successful as he was with us – in the end the topic also became a certain burden in the dressing room, at the club and in the environment,” Sky Sport Germany report him saying.
“(He was at) least to blame. Almost everything simply focused on him in the outside world and covered up many BVB issues that would also have been important.
“(It was) ultimately the right one for both sides. The time without him offers us the opportunity for other players to get more space and the lack of focus on Erling represents a chance for us as a team.
“The fact that our first ten competitive goals were scored by ten different players proves that quite well.”
