Mino Raiola, speaking in The Athletic this past week, mentioned that he misjudged his client Erling Haaland. He had thought that a stint with Borussia Dortmund would be the best thing for his development, but he was wrong.
Haaland is no normal footballer, he said, and he can play for any club in the game, basically inviting all of Europe to gun for the Norwegian marksman, a man with 33 goals in 31 games for Dortmund this season as well as 20 goals in the 14 Champions League games he’s played so far in his career.
The current financial situation of the European game is far from liquid, however, hit hard by covid-19. Despite this, the continent’s finest are going to try to recruit a seemingly generational talent according to Diario AS. Real Madrid are heavily interested, with Manchester City emerging as a key rival in the battle for his signature, all the more so given the recent news that Sergio Aguero will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Barcelona are also in the race. Joan Laporta met with Raiola, who he has an excellent relationship with, and Haaland’s father in Barcelona on Thursday morning before the duo travelled to the Spanish capital to meet with the powers-at-be at Madrid.
Reports have suggested that Raiola has informed them Haaland only wants to play for either Barcelona or Madrid, and while Barcelona appreciate that their financial situation is far from ideal. They’d like to sign him in the summer of 2022 when his informal clause drops to €75m, or alternatively get creative in their negotiations with Dortmund.
If they were to sign Haaland, he’d become the second-highest paid player in the squad after Lionel Messi, or the first if Messi doesn’t stay. They know they can’t compete with Madrid economically, so hope that their great rivals prioritise Mbappe to open the door for them.
