JUST two days after Red Bull Salzburg’s momentous, but ultimately unsuccessful, Champions League campaign came to an end with a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool, Erling Haaland and Mino Raiola made a quick jaunt to Germany.
There the Norwegian striker, Europe’s most sought after goalscorer who attracted 40 scouts to the aforementioned match, was shown around Borussia Dortmund’s training ground and the Westfalenstadion. He clearly liked what he saw.
News of Haaland’s move to the Bundesliga broke on Sunday bringing a swift conclusion to a transfer saga that made the 19-year-old a target for Juventus, RB Leipzig and most notably Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked with Haaland at Molde and hoped to lure the teenager to Old Trafford to fill the centre forward position vacated by Romelu Lukaku in the summer.
Ole Solskjaer hired a private jet to go to Austria, meet with Håland and his parents to convince him to sign for Manchester United. Ed Woodward and Ole hired a private jet and brought Håland all the way to Manchester for a meeting only for him to sign for Dortmund. Wow.
— 360Sources (@360Sources) December 29, 2019
Reports claim United had reservations over Raiola’s demands, that a buyout clause would be written into Haaland’s contract and that his agent and father would receive a significant portion of any future fee, but regardless of the true reason the Norwegian striker has made the right decision for his development.
Dortmund are a club with a proven track record in harnessing young players, particularly those who deal in the currency of goals. Not since the emergence of Robert Lewandowski has a young striker seemed so destined for a decade at the top of the sport and now Haaland will follow in the footsteps of the Polish forward he has been compared to more than once.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is another who became an elite striker at the Westfalenstadion, flourishing after making the move to the Bundesliga from Saint-Etienne in 2013, earning himself a £56 million transfer to Arsenal by 2018. There’s no reason to believe Haaland, given the skillset and swagger which saw him score eight goals in six Champions League outings this season, won’t follow a similar path.
Nobody expects Dortmund to be Haaland’s final destination. If all goes to plan, he will use the Bundesliga club as a springboard just as Aubameyang and Lewandowski did. Raiola has surely negotiated his client’s new contract with this in mind. The Italian is a master at moving his players around Europe’s top clubs and Haaland is another pawn. Raiola is always one or two moves ahead of everyone else.
OFFICIAL: Erling Haaland has joined Borussia Dortmund pic.twitter.com/DXG7nyZQUX
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 29, 2019
Haaland reportedly prioritised first-team football above all else when plotting his exit from Salzburg. At Man Utd, he would have faced competition from the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. At Dortmund, though, the Norwegian will be their centrepiece forward, an apex for Julian Brandt, Thorgan Hazard, Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho.
He will play in the Champions League, with Dortmund drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in this season’s last 16, and could propel his new club into title contention at the top of the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich’s faltering start has opened the door to new challengers and Haaland’s arrival could prove a catalyst for the Black and Yellows.
Far too often young players rush into moves to elite level clubs before they are truly ready for it. Haaland could have done this by opting for Juventus or Man Utd. It’s possible he would have received more money at either club, but Haaland has a refreshingly long-term view of his career. His decision to join Dortmund over all others reflects this.
Haaland might still end up at Old Trafford. If there is a buyout clause in his Dortmund contract it won’t be long until another bidding war for the Norwegian ensues. In that scenario, Man Utd could reignite their interest. For now, though, Haaland must become the player so many expect him to be for Dortmund. He couldn’t be in a better place.
