Real Madrid believe that Erling Haaland will join Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund this summer but are still hoping to convince him to join them instead.
That’s according to Cadena Ser, who look at the situation around the striker today and say City are currently ‘top of the list’ of suitors, but Madrid want to ‘convince’ him to ignore their interest.
As we’re sure you’re more than aware, by this point, Haaland is extremely likely to leave Dortmund this summer when a release clause activates in his contract.
While that figure stands somewhere between €70m and €100m depending on the source, it is agreed by everyone that the elite clubs in Europe would be happy to pay it.
Manchester City are one of them and have been linked with a move for a while, given their need to find a long-term successor to Sergio Aguero.
Those in charge at Madrid believe the Norwegian will join Manchester City, but they are not ruling out the possibility of persuading him to remain where he is.
They are one of five clubs to put an offer on the table, and the striker has a meeting planned with Mino Raiola planned for Friday to discuss them.
Manchester City currently sit top of the list, but Madrid’s hope is to convince the striker to stay at Dortmund for one more year and then, in two seasons’ time, move to the Spanish capital.
That plan has been put in place because the Spanish giants want to sign Kylian Mbappe in the summer but don’t have the finances to afford both. Accommodating both would also be a ‘difficult fit’.
With that in mind, they want to make Haaland see that if he were to join this summer, he would be a ‘great signing’, but the star would be the Frenchman. If he were to wait a year, the limelight would be his.
Therefore, while believing Haaland is going to Manchester City, they are not ruling out a deal and are asking him to hold out for a season. Whether it’s a plan that will succeed remains to be seen, and it all depends on that key meeting with Raiola on Friday.
