Haaland: Hoffenheim rejected Dortmund star over €3,000
The Dortmund star had a trial at Hoffenheim in 2016 but the deal fell through due to the club's strict wage structure for youth team players.
Erling Haaland has announced himself as a genuine star at the age of 19 after making the move from RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund and promptly smashing all manner of goal-scoring records for the Bundesliga club. The Norway international has banged in eight goals in just five appearances for Dortmund, only two of which were starts.
While Haaland is busy knocking them in for third-placed Dortmund, seventh-placed Hoffenheim can only watch and wonder what might have been: in 2016 a 15-year-old Haaland spent a week with the club and impressed their youth team coaches, who suggested a move for the kid who was then plying his trade for Byrne.
Hoff scoffed at Haaland's €5,000 wage demand
But there was an issue over money. Club policy at Hoffenheim at the time dictated that youth team players were all paid the same amount per month, a salary of €2,000 euros. Haaland’s advisors felt that the prolific youngster was worth more and asked for €5,000 a month, causing Hoffenheim to pull the plug on the deal.
In the end, Haaland joined Molde in his native Norway, making his debut at 15 before being sold to Salzburg in 2018 for a fee of €8m. He then made the move to Dortmund in January for €20m, where he now commands an annual salary of €8m.