The Athletic have given an update on Manchester United’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware of who Haaland is and what he can do. Though just 20-years-old, he is one of the deadliest and most prolific centre-forwards in Europe.
Borussia Dortmund were the club fortunate enough to inherit him from Red Bull Salzburg, and despite that move only materialising in January of this year, Haaland is already being linked with the exit door.
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The Athletic report that Man United boss and Haaland’s compatriot Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on bringing the striker to Old Trafford – and understandably so.
It’s claimed in the report that Man United were in the race to sign him before his move to Dortmund, but they failed to agree terms with his agent Mino Raiola over a release clause (£68M, valid in the summer of 2022, per The Athletic).
Dortmund agreed, meaning that less than two years from now any interested parties could poach Haaland for a figure which is less than his current market value – imagine how much of a bargain that could be when 2022 comes around.
However, The Athletic do not rule out the possibility of United making their move for Haaland ahead of time, paying over that figure, and ensuring that they are front of the queue to sign him.
United are likely regretting their decision not to bite the bullet and agree to Raiola’s terms initially. It would be no surprise if they decided to pay over the odds to get it done as soon as possible.
This rumour isn’t going to go away any time soon. Strap yourselves in and enjoy the speculation.