Mino Raiola lifts lid on Erling Haaland’s possible next club
The Norway international is expected to depart Borussia Dortmund in the summer
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Your support makes all the difference.A clutch of just four clubs might be in the running to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund this summer, claims his agent Mino Raiola.
The free-scoring striker is set to be massively in-demand due to a reported release clause in his contracts which comes into effect in the close season of 2022.
Having netted 17 goals in just 13 matches this season, his goalscoring prowess will unquestionably make him an expensive signing who whoever wins the race, but he has proven an immaculate addition for Dortmund since signing from RB Salzburg in January 2020.
And while four superclubs are in the running with both interest and financial capacity to do the deal, Raiola stopped short of saying an exit is definitely on the cards.
“He can and will take the next step. Bayern [Munich], Real [Madrid], Barcelona, [Manchester] City - these are the big clubs he can go to. City has won the championship five times in recent years, significantly more than [Man] United. When we moved to Dortmund, we all knew that this step would come,” he explained to Sport1.
“Maybe this summer, maybe the summer after. But there is a great chance that Erling will leave this summer. We will see.”
On the prospect of him delaying a departure, Raiola pointed out that if Dortmund were so keen to rake in the most money possible, they would have merely sold the 21-year-old this past summer.
But there was no inclination from the club to do so and Haaland himself - who Raiola says has a great desire to win the Ballon d’Or in future - enjoys playing at Signal Iduna Park.
“When you see the passion of the people in Dortmund, that’s great. Every player loves this yellow wall, including Erling. He came because he wanted to play in front of this grandstand. Incidentally, it would have been much easier and perhaps even better for Dortmund to sell Erling in the summer. But you said no for footballing reasons. That deserves my greatest respect.
“A transfer last summer would definitely have been better for [BVB] economically. But they looked after the well-being of the club, after the fans, the team and the success. I have a lot of respect for this decision.”
Raiola refused to again confirm the amount or even existence of the reported release clause in Haaland’s contract, and said that he will - as has been the case each season - discuss Haaland’s future with the club in winter, with a view to what happens in the summer.
“He is someone who wants to develop, who is looking for new challenges. And of course it is also a question of the alternative. You only switch when you have a better alternative.
“We will tell BVB what our idea is and BVB will tell us its ideas. But no decision will be made in winter.”
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