Real Madrid need a striker and have set their sights on Borussia Dortmund’s newest wunderkind.
Real Madrid has yet to meet a breakout star that they don’t immediately try to snatch up. James Rodriguez in the 2014 World Cup and the likes of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior are the most recent examples.
The club has been chasing Kylian Mbappe for about two seasons now but that signing appears nearly impossible. It’s no secret that they are trying to find a new striker and it should be no surprise that the one they are now after happens to be the breakout striker in Europe this season.
According to Diario AS, Real Madrid have made Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland their top priority for next season. the 19-year-old has leapt over other names like Timo Werner and Lautaro Martinez.
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Madrid was also rumored to be interested in Wolves’ Raul Jimenez but Haaland is not only younger but would also make a bigger splash both in the papers and for the fanbase.
What is clear is that this likely means the end of Luka Jovic’s Real Madrid career. The Serbian was last season’s version of Haaland and signed for Madrid after an impressive season with Eintracht Frankfurt. But he’s only found the back of the net twice this season.
Madrid’s need for a striker has been apparent since Cristiano Ronaldo left and despite hoping his departure would open the doors for Karim Benzema, the Frenchman has been rather inconsistent.
Haaland burst onto the scene this season with RB Salzburg which led to him signing with Dortmund despite bigger clubs being interested in him. That was done for a reason.
One is that he would get playing time with the German side. Dortmund has a good track record of providing opportunities for young players and that has very much been the case with Haaland. He’s scored 12 goals in 11 matches since joining.
The other reason is his contract with Dortmund allows him to leave after just one season. If he does, it won’t be in the summer but rather the winter transfer window. His release clause of €75 million is more than attainable for a club like Real Madrid.
The wrench in their plan could be the way Luka Jovic has fared. Haaland might see that and feel that a similar thing might happen to him if he were to sign with them.
It’s a scenario that former Liverpool legend and Real Madrid player Steve McManaman has warned. According to Marca, he believes Haaland should not take the premature step on joining the Spanish giants and has used Jovic as an example of how things can turn sour quite quickly.
Haaland wouldn’t be where he is if he didn’t have confidence in his abilities and believe he could succeed wherever he went. Real Madrid certainly has the money to sign him. In the end, it will be up to Haaland whether or not he believes the right time to move would be after just one season with Dortmund.