Erling Haaland, along with Kylian Mbappe, is European football’s hottest prospect.
The Norwegian marksman has been making waves at Borussia Dortmund, not just for his goalscoring form but the way he’s been scoring goals. Haaland is like a machine, taller and stronger than all of his opponents, tearing apart opposition defences and leading the line impeccably for an underperforming Dortmund.
The German club are off the pace in the Bundesliga, at risk of missing out on a place in next season’s Champions League. For this reason, Haaland has been linked with practically every top European club, especially La Liga duo Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The former have been strongly linked due to newly-elected president Joan Laporta’s strong relationship with Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, while the latter are interested but seem to be prioritising Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe.
“Like all stars, football comes first and then everything else,” Raiola said in an exclusive interview with Diario AS of Haaland’s day-to-day life. “There’s no other way. Cristiano [Ronaldo], [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, they’ve all made football the centre of their lives. Haaland doesn’t know what the restaurants are like in Dortmund.
“He studies a lot to improve, he trains hard. In the end, the great champions, for me, are the simplest people. And it’s important to have a good woman by your side, it’s fundamental, to create your circle.
“Haaland is interested in two things. Scoring goals, because he’s like Cristiano or Zlatan, in that he has that positive obsession, and winning titles. And he’ll choose, for sure, the club where those things will happen more.
“It’s difficult to lie. When a club like Barcelona or Madrid arrives on the scene, with so much history and greatness, it’s difficult to say no. Paris Saint-Germain are entering this group of greats, as are Manchester City. Juventus have always been there.
“The championship they contest also matters. PSG plays in the worst league of the greats. Bayern are already in an attractive league, but we know they always win it. In Spain there are three with options.”
Much has been made of Barcelona and Madrid’s financial situation, with the former’s especially precarious. For Raiola, however, the chance to recruit a player with the potential and quality of Haaland is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, worth the expense.
“It’s complicated but not impossible. That’s the job of a club leader. It’s the same for the club as it is for the players. A train goes by and what do you do? Do you take it or don’t you take it? That’s the big question.”
