Who will win Erling Haaland race? Examining state of play for interested clubs – Inside Football

Erling Haaland suffered a major setback in his plans for 2022 this week as Norway failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.

Haaland is currently injured so was not involved as they crashed 2-0 to the Netherlands, leaving his hopes of playing on the biggest stage of all shelved for at least five years.

It’s a blow that simply narrows the focus of the Borussia Dortmund striker. Getting the next move of his club career right is now the only priority for next year and it is a decision that will determine just what his trophy collection looks like by the time that next World Cup comes around in 2026.

Speculation over this situation has already been drawn out for over a year and, to be honest, no decision is on the horizon.

Haaland won’t make a decision on his future until the late stages of this season and that is due to the fact he wants to ensure the pathway he chooses is perfect in terms of trajectory.

He is not desperate to escape Dortmund, so the next club needs to promise him opportunities that are currently not open to him both in terms of club trophies and personal accolades.

His decision to join Dortmund was based on exactly that. He could have joined Juventus or Manchester United earlier in his career but neither felt right to a teenager who wanted weekly first-team action at one of Europe’s top clubs.

His journey from Molde to RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund is a complete reflection of a path that has been carefully mapped out, in the knowledge that the elite would still be waiting for him further down the road.

That is where we are at now. The calibre of clubs wanting to sign Haaland is staggering.

Juve and Man United are now joined by Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. His talent is absolutely undoubted and so too is his potential. Whoever wins this race is getting a ready-made superstar.

The finances of any deal will of course be significant and there is plenty to bear in mind beyond the £67 million release clause and his salary, which is likely to be upwards of £300,000-a-week. Commissions to agent Mino Raiola also have to be taken into account and those numbers will be substantial. Around £25 million is expected in terms of that payment with further sums to be paid to his father Alf Inge Haaland.

Figures around the player will help ensure the right club is found though and that is the most important factor in all this. With most players at this level you can ignore such statements yet with Team Haaland the right route to the top is deemed to be of ultimate importance.

Time will tell but in the meantime we are breaking down the circumstances of the clubs chasing him…

The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo adds fresh doubt about how he would fit and Jadon Sancho’s strange time in Manchester is seen as a red flag. Being on the bench is a scenario that Haaland can not bear to fathom. There is a lot of uncertainty at United at board level and management level and things will need to stabilise significantly between now and March for them to be considered.

Many believe this is his most likely English club. They tick all the boxes in terms of trophy potential and ambition. It also helps that his father used to play for them. What Haaland’s camp need to be convinced by though is how he fits in to their style of play and how long Pep Guardiola will be remaining as boss.

They have the title credentials and an elite squad—as well as a boss who has taken the path from Dortmund to Liverpool. The biggest factor here is whether Liverpool can compete financially to fulfil the terms of any deal. They are currently baulking at Mo Salah’s terms and Haaland will not be much cheaper. It’s an intriguing option, though.

The Blues tried to push for a transfer last summer and when they realised it was not possible they moved for Romelu Lukaku instead. They will still show their hand in any auction because of the financial power they have. Sources had indicated before that they were not one of his top choices - but that was before the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as boss.

Leaks have begun to emerge that Madrid believe they can not afford to challenge for him next summer because of the level of competition - but there is a feeling this is all mind games. Let’s see what happens with Kylian Mbappe. Signing both would be a stretch but if that move does not materialise then Madrid are expected to make a firm move.

It seems impossible right now but a lot can change in football and by next summer, if Xavi is leading the team in the right direction, Haaland could be a legitimate target. Sources have long indicated they are one of the teams he is most interested in and that he would prefer to play in Spain before then moving on to the Premier League.

There have been moments when Juve looked a leading option for Haaland in the past but at the moment that is not the case and a move looks very unlikely.

So much depends on the outlook of Robert Lewandowski. He is contracted until 2023 and it is unclear what the next step will be. If Lewandowski made it clear he wanted a transfer in 2022 then Bayern are almost certain to push hard for Haaland.