It’s already the transfer saga of next summer despite the fact that the window isn’t opening for another six months.
Such is the need for Europe’s top clubs to enlist Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland as one of their new squad players, however, that the machinations have long since been going on behind the scenes. With good reason too.
Once Haaland burst onto the scene with RB Salzburg, quickly earning himself a move to the Bundesliga giant, the question was whether a big jump up in quality would be too much for the striker at such an early stage in his career.
He’s already answered that emphatically, becoming one of the most clinical centre-forwards in the top European leagues in the process.
Indeed, a battle with Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is already developing, in a not too disimilar way to the Ronaldo vs Messi shoot-outs.
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Talking to Sport1, cited by football.london, Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, noted that Chelsea were a possible future destination for the youngster.
Manchester Evening News also indicate that Manchester United are circling, and may hold the trump card given that new manager, Ralf Rangnick, was the person that brought the Norwegian from Molde to Salzburg.
Both Premier League clubs could be outmanoeuvred by Barcelona, however.
The Catalan club’s president, Joan Laporta, has long had a healthy and cordial relationship with Raiola, and whilst their financial issues represent a stumbling block, the fact that Barca are still in the conversation evidences the strength of the bond between the pair.
As Fabrizio Romano notes in his latest YouTube video, Laporta and Raiola met back in May to talk about Haaland, and a top secret meeting took place just this week in Italy, attended by the entire Barca board.
Laporta has always played the long game, and perhaps there was another reason for getting rid of Lionel Messi after all…