Manchester City ahead of PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid in race for Erling Haaland - Paper Round
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Updated 20/02/2022 at 08:33 GMT
Manchester City are reportedly ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the race for Erling Haalnd, while Roy Keane turned down Sunderland due to the short contract on offer. Elsewhere, Chelsea want defender Eder Militao, and they may not sign Declan Rice after the emergence of Conor Gallagher.
Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Bundesliga match between TSG Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund at the PreZero-Arena on February 22, 2022 in Sinsheim, Germany.
Image credit: Getty Images
City move ahead in Haaland race
Manchester City may have the edge as they pursue Erling Haaland this summer. The 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker is available for £68 million at the end of the season and could command a hefty commission. With the player's father Alf Inge Haaland leading negotiations with clubs, the Mirror believes that Barcelona, PSG and Real Madrid are at a disadvantage.
Paper Round’s view: Haaland’s father knowing Manchester City likely keeps the club abreast of the news should they wish to make a move for the striker, but realistically the difference is going to be made by who offers the best project and the best contract. That probably leads Real Madrid facing off with Manchester City, as they are both glamorous and well-funded sides.
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Keane turned down Sunderland due to contract
Roy Keane turned down a return to Sunderland, with Alex Neil instead taking over at the Stadium of Light on a one-year rolling contract. Keane had been approached about taking over at the club for a second time, but The Sun reports that Keane ultimately decided against the job because he was offered a contract that would run only until the end of the season.
Paper Round’s view: Keane has a lucrative gig with Sky and seems to be relatively settled with that role, and so it would have to be a special offer for him to return to management. If he was not sure of where he would be beyond the summer, then it would not make sense for him to give up a role that keeps him occupied and financially secure, so Sunderland would have to be able to offer more security.
Militao attracting Chelsea interest
With Antonio Rudiger set to leave Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer, Marca reports that they are looking to Real Madrid’s Eder Militao as a potential replacement. However, the 24-year-old Brazilian has a contract that runs until 2025, and the Spanish club are ready to give him a raise on his existing salary, which is priced at around €3.5m a year.
Paper Round’s view: Militao has grown into his role at the Bernabeu and is now a vital figure in the league leaders’ backline. At just 24 he could play at the highest level for another decade, and Chelsea would have to offer a huge sum. However if Real pay up for Rudiger, then perhaps there is a chance they would be willing to cover his wages by letting their centre-back go.
Chelsea could favour Gallagher over Rice
Having been linked with Declan Rice for a couple of seasons, Chelsea could instead turn to Conor Gallagher, with the Daily Mail reporting that the 22-year-old midfielder has impressed Thomas Tuchel with his efforts while on loan at Crystal Palace so far this season. That may convince Chelsea to duck out of the efforts to sign the West Ham midfielder.
Paper Round’s view: Gallagher clearly has lots of promise, and while Rice might have more experience - and might even be the better player over the course of his career - when it comes to spending in the summer transfer window, they might decide that splashing out £100m on a midfielder is a little bit of a waste when their defence could be hit hard.
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