Dortmund's Erling Haaland celebrates his team's fifth goal during the Champions League match against Besiktas at Signal Iduna Park on December 07, 2021 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
The four potential suitors for Erling Haaland
Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland (second left) is a much sought-after transfer target for several big clubs in Europe. (Photo by Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Mino Raiola says Erling Haaland could go to one of four teams
Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is going to be one of Europe’s most sought-after player come the summer transfer window. His goal scoring prowess the last two seasons has made him one of the best strikers in the world.
Naturally, plenty of the continent’s elite would like to acquire him.
Given how much any potential club would have to pay in terms of a transfer fee, the fee to his agent Mino Raiola and the wages for Haaland himself, means only a few teams are actually in contention to make a move.
Raiola himself came out and revealed the four possible suitors for his client.
“He [Haaland] can and will take the next step,” Raiola told Sport 1. “Bayern, Real, Barcelona, City — these are the big clubs he can join. When we moved to Dortmund, we all knew that this step would come.
“Maybe this summer, maybe the summer after. But there is a big chance that Erling will leave this summer.”
Source: ESPN
Perhaps in defense of how Paul Pogba, another one of his clients, has been treated at Manchester United, Raiola went out of his way to exclude the Red Devils. In fact, he took a shot at the club by stating City has won the Premier League more often than United in recent history.
Three out of the four teams he mentioned have a serious shot of signing Haaland should they go after him.
Bayern Munich have a history of taking Dortmund’s best player and Haaland would simply be another name joining that list. Robert Lewandowski (a former Dortmund star), while still prolific, is getting up there in age and the Norwegian would be a perfect long-term replacement.
Manchester City have been on the lookout for a striker since last season when they decided they were not going to bring back Sergio Agüero. Gabriel Jesus was supposed to be that man but the Brazilian has been more comfortable playing on the wing.
Pep Guardiola’s side was close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo, but he ended up going to United instead. For City, money would be no issue.
Real Madrid is an interesting option. The Spanish giants were one of the clubs Raiola toured when he was in Spain before the start of the season. What makes Madrid a less serious scenario is the fact they’ve identified Kylian Mbappé as their main target for next season.
With Vinicius Jr. finally figuring things out scoring wise, and Karim Benzema already one of the best strikers in Europe, signing Haaland may create an unwanted problem should they also sign Mbappé.
It is a problem many clubs would usually want. But given the pandemic and how it has stretched clubs out financially, even Real Madrid may opt to play it safe and only go after Mbappé.
Out of the four teams mentioned by Raiola, on paper, the possibility of Erling Haaland going to Barcelona seems low. The financial mess the Catalans find themselves in means they have to be prudent in who they sign and how much they spend. Their wage bill needs to fall in line with the parameters set by la Liga.
The only thing in Barça’s favor is the good relationship between Raiola and club president Joan Laporta. Also, Haaland would be the main focal point in the attack, something he may not have with the other clubs.
Raiola is an agent who likes to use the media to his advantage and this could be a case of that. But there is no question a bidding war for Erling Haaland could be on the horizon.
The question still surrounds the rumor of whether or not the striker has a release clause. If it exists, and it’s set at a reasonable €75 million, then it really will be up to Erling Haaland to decide where he wants to play next season if not at Dortmund.
