Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland is of interest for top European clubs and the list includes the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and a few others.
On April 17th, AS reported the Citizens are ‘best positioned’ to complete the Norway international’s signing, ahead of the two La Liga giants.
At the start of last month, the striker’s father, Alf-Inge Håland and his advisor, Mino Raiola, were spotted in Barcelona, before they made trips to Madrid and other cities reportedly to discuss the 20-year-old.
Raiola has now dismissed the suggestion of it being a publicity tour during a sit-down chat with Spanish newspaper AS.
“If I tell you the reason for the trip, you won’t believe it,” the super-agent said.
“Haaland’s father had to go to Marbella, he wanted to travel and so did I, because I had to congratulate Laporta and go to Madrid, and we did all these things at once. Because look, 99% of the time I travel and nobody knows where I am.
Raiola gave Manchester City and their supporters hope of seeing Haaland representing the Etihad club when asked if the goalscoring frontman would be more suited for the Premier League or La Liga.
“Haaland is interested in two things: scoring goals, because he is like a Cristiano or a Zlatan, he has that positive obsession, and winning titles,” Raiola explained.
“And he will choose, surely, where those two things together happen more. It is very difficult to lie.
“When a club like Barcelona or Madrid arrives, with so much history and so great, it is difficult to say no. PSG is entering this group of greats, City are trying to get there, Juve has always been there.”
“The championship they play also matters. PSG plays the worst league of the greats. Bayern are already in an attractive league, but we know that they always win it. In Spain there are three with options…”
Earlier reports have suggested Pep Guardiola’s poor relationship with Raiola could be a hindrance for City to acquire Haaland’s services. The player’s advisor has now made an effort to put that behind him.
“No, it was Guardiola who ended up badly with me (laughs). I listened. I think Guardiola is a great coach. I don’t hate anyone and I don’t find him unpleasant, because I don’t know him in person. I didn’t like what he did with Zlatan, but this is now the past,” Raiola concluded.
