Real Madrid make Dortmund striker Haaland an absolute priority
The Norway forward scored twice in the defeat to Bayern on Saturday
Erling Haaland is worth more than yesterday but less than tomorrow. The Norwegian striker's explosion on the world stage is comparable in recent years only with Kylian Mbappe's emergence at Monaco and, subsequently, Paris Saint-Germain. On Saturday, against Bayern Munich, against Robert Lewandowski, two goals in seven minutes weren't enough for three points, though. Lewandowski is still the reference, the Polish striker netting three in a 4-2 win.
But Haaland's exhibition only boosted his reputation among Europe's biggest clubs. Especially at Real Madrid, who seem ready to go all out to sign the Borussia Dortmund front man. A need, an absolute priority. The club feel he could mark the next decade and don't want to make the mistake of letting him escape.
150 million euros. That's how much the deal could cost, more or less. That's to Dortmund. In addition, you have to add the player's salary, around 20 million euros per season, and the agent's (Mino Raiola) commission. It's an investment that few clubs can afford in the pandemic. That's where Hans Joaquim Watzke, the CEO at Dortmund comes in to the picture. He has a great relationship with Florentino Perez and could give Madrid preference.
It's a differential factor that could take Madrid to the front of the Haaland queue.
"In the middle of a pandemic, I won't rule anything out," Watzke said in an interview with Handlesblatt when asked about selling a key player this week.
"But that's not necessarily the goal. The most important thing is financial balance: we want to have a strong team on the pitch and at the same time be financially stable.
"If we are going to play without fans next season, we will certainly have to think about selling a player. Because asking for a loan from the banks just not to sell a player is not going to be our approach."
The door to a possible exit is open. The Santiago Bernabeu is waiting, but in the world of football, anything can happen.
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