Erling Haaland has reportedly let slip which club he will soon transfer to after one suitor ‘won the race’ following a mammoth contract offer, per various outlets.
The Norwegian marksman has been simply sensational since arriving in Dortmund in two years ago. Haaland has operated at just over a goal per game for the Bundesliga side across all competitions. But with a generous release clause reportedly in the region of £64-£68m, Dortmund are struggling to retain their star man.
Indeed, Europe’s leading lights ranging from Chelsea and Man Utd, to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have all been credited with interest. Barcelona too are in the mix, though it was initially feared their financial strife would rule them out of contention.
However, according to the Sun, (citing Spanish outlet AS), it is Barcelona who have seemingly won the race.
They state Xavi’s side are poised to secure Haaland’s signature after making a massive contract offer worth £480,000-per-week. That roughly equates to £25m-a-year, and is the figure German newspaper Bild suggested Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich could sanction.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta reportedly confirmed on Monday that his side were pursuing Haaland. The Mirror add their take to the story, claiming a meeting between Laporta and Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, has borne fruit.
Real Madrid had appeared to be the frontrunners, though reports suggest they are prioritising signing Kylian Mbappe instead. Acquiring both Mbappe and Haaland in the same window may not be financially viable.
The Mirror add another snippet of information when revealing Haaland was recently on holiday in Marbella. When asked about his future, the striker supposedly said: “I will play in Spain.”
Dortmund chief Sebastian Kehl did little to dampen the speculation. Via the Mirror, he noted Dortmund will meet with Haaland soon to resolve his future once and for all.
Haaland future decided in coming weeks – Kehl
“We’ll sit down with Haaland in the next few weeks and discuss the situation,” said Kehl. “It would be good if a decision doesn’t drag on forever.
“He’s in very good hands at BVB and why we as a club can continue to be a very good option for him.”
But if the reports coming from Spain are accurate, it appears Haaland is bound for Barcelona – providing they can generate the finances required.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte in strong position to sign star AC Milan duo
Forward told he’s not in Rangnick plans; move likely
Meanwhile, Man Utd are piecing together a forward’s exit for the second straight window after Ralf Rangnick deemed the star not part of his plans, per a journalist.
In the latter stages of the summer window, Manchester United came within a whisker of sanctioning Amad Diallo’s loan exit to Feyenoord. However, the promising youngster suffered a thigh injury in training that caused the move to break down. Instead, the Dutch side snapped up Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson on loan as a last-ditch alternative.
Diallo later returned to action with the Under-23s in the Premier League 2 and wasted little time showcasing why he is too good for that level. The 19-year-old forward notched two goals and an assist in just two outings.
Now, according to United-focused journalist Jonathan Shrager, Diallo will be loaned out this month.
Shrager tweeted Rangnick has ‘informed Amad’ that he is ‘not in his plans for this season’.
With the firepower United have at their disposal and even the likes of Jesse Lingard kicking his heels on the bench, it is no surprise to see Rangnick reportedly reach that conclusion. As such, United will reportedly ‘try for a loan deal in January’.
READ MORE: Man Utd launch ‘approach’ to fix problem position with Rangnick driving Dortmund raid
