Real Madrid hesitant in their pursuit of Erling Haaland
According to Mundo Deportivo’s Francesc Aguilar, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is uncertain of a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian striker has been the standout youngster in Europe this season. He took the Champions League by storm with RB Salzburg, scoring 8 goals for the Austrian champions in the group stage.
The 19-year-old then secured a transfer to Borussia Dortmund in January after being linked with a host of European clubs. His Bundesliga debut was just as spectacular as his continental one, as he scored a hattrick as a substitute against Augsburg.
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He also scored a further 2 goals in Dortmund’s round-of-16 tie against PSG.
Understandably, Haaland is now the most highly-rated teenager in Europe. Recent rumours have linked him with a summer move to Real Madrid, just months after he joined Dortmund.
However, the move could now be in doubt because of the exorbitant fees that Madrid will have to pay Haaland’s agents – his father and the infamous Mino Raiola – on top of the transfer fee that will go to the German club.
Haaland reportedly has a release clause of just £63 million in his contract – a steal in the current market – but Raiola will almost certainly demand a significant percentage of that.
Real Madrid splashed out €60 million to sign Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt last year, but that experiment hasn’t worked out for Zinedine Zidane. The 23-year-old has struggled to make an impression in Spain and has also been mired in some disciplinary issues.
Karim Benzema has stepped up for the Los Blancos, scoring 14 goals and providing 6 assists in 26 LaLiga matches this season. But the Frenchman is already 32-years-old, and it is time for Perez to start thinking of replacements.
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A Haaland move seems inevitable eventually – in a couple of years if not this season. But if the youngster harbours ambitions of playing for a European giant, it appears that Raiola will have to lower his demands.