The Norway International Erling Haaland, widely regarded as one of the most lethal strikers in the game currently, is on the wishlist of almost every elite club heading into the new year. With a release clause of €75m believed to kick in next year, teams are queuing up to capture his signing.
However, the actual cost of signing the Norwegian international strikers is expected to be much higher, with a massive contract likely to be involved, along with a hefty commission for his agent, Mino Raiola.
In spite of the steep costs that could exceed the €150 million mark, Catalan club Barcelona are very much in the hunt for Erling Haaland’s capture. The Norway striker has been at the top of Barca president Joan Laporta’s wishlist ever since he was re-elected earlier this year and he is prepared to go all-out for the BVB superstar.
Groundwork is already being laid, with Barca president Laporta having met with agent Mino Raiola on two separate occasions this year to discuss a move. However, according to SPORT, the biggest threat to Barça’s ambitions of landing the Haaland will come from Manchester City.
The Premier League current champions have been on the lookout for a new center-forward since last summer, after having lost their all-time leading goalscorer, Kun Aguero, on a free transfer. Man City tried hard to sign Harry Kane but failed in their attempts.
Now, though, the focus has shifted to Erling Haaland, with the Citizens prepared to go all-out for the BVB hitman, according to the report.
While there are believed to be some concerns within the camp regarding the money that could be involved in the deal, they have the financial muscle needed to pull off the transfer. It is further claimed that Manchester City have already begun contacts to try and engineer a deal.
Borussia Dortmund, for their part, remains hopeful of convincing Erling Haaland to stay at Signal Eduana Park and have begun talks to try and extend his current contract at the club. However, that is unlikely to lead to anything, with Haaland is expected to be on the move come summer.
While the names of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid have all been mentioned in the past, the report states that it is likely to be Barcelona and Manchester City who will be the main competitors for the transfer of the Norwegian international. Only time will tell who comes out on top in the race for the ex-RB Salzburg ace’s signing.
