They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the image of Erling Haaland losing his temper at the end of Borussia Dortmund’s match with Cologne on Saturday is highly significant for Diario AS. His team’s chances of making it to the Champions League is growing increasingly more difficult, with Dortmund currently sitting fifth, four points behind fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and eight points behind third-placed Wolfsburg.
Haaland didn't look happy after the full time whistle 👀 pic.twitter.com/xNz2mVrGLi
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 20, 2021
Haaland’s gesture was broadcast around the world. Angry after the draw, he threw his shirt to a player who had asked for it and entered the tunnel muttering under his breath. His contribution has been immense, but it’s not been enough to elevate Dortmund into a title challenge or even a Champions League place.
The Norwegian has 33 goals in 31 games, 21 in 21 in the Bundesliga. Under no circumstances does he want to miss out on showcasing his talents in Europe’s premier competition, and he’s apparently made it known to his agent, Mino Raiola.
Haaland’s initial idea was to stay at Dortmund until 2022, believing it was the best place for him to develop before seeking a move to a bigger club. In return, Raiola reached a verbal agreement with the club enabling him to leave in the summer of 2022 for about €75m. But the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic, the fact that Dortmund are going through a bad sporting moment and the rapid acceleration of Haaland’s development means that the plan could be brought forward.
Haaland’s rogue agent will get him a transfer no matter how well Dortmund is doing. Who ever buys Haaland will have heart ache soon enough before player and agent will engineer another transfer.