Real Madrid: Haaland gives clues about what attracts him to a club
Erling Haaland spoke about the various factors and qualities he looks for when deciding which club he would like to play for in an interview with Eurosport Norway.
Along with Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland could be the big name of the summer for Real Madrid. The 19-year-old's dramatic rise on the European stage has taken everyone by surprise - as has his goal scoring. Haaland has netted 12 goals in 11 games since his move to Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid have been closely following his progress. Madrid pent 60 million euros on Luka Jovic last summer but the player hasn't settled. Madrid know that Haaland's buy-out will rise to 75 million euros at the start of the 2020-21 winter transfer window but Dortmund could be willing to accept a similar offer for the striker this summer. Much will depend on how the player, who is good friends with Martin Ødegaard, feels about moving to Spain. Another encouraging factor for Madrid is that Florentino Perez has an excellent relationship with Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, which would be one less thing to worry about during negotiations.
As for whether Haaland would be interested in joining Madrid, the player gave an indication in an interview with Eurosport Norway. “Before deciding which club you would like to play for, you have to know how good you are, how good the club is, the people who are there, how they look after you and how they can help you in your own, personal development…”. The words “personal development” give a good idea of what the teenage forward expects. Those close to the player have told AS that Haaland "needs to be playing to continue evolving as a player". Could Madrid be the kind of place to give regular playing time to a youngster who is still only 19? Jovic, who is 21, has had few chances to break into the first team and he hasn't made the most of the opportunities he has been given so far, scoring two goals in 24 appearances.
Haaland with his feet on the ground
He continued, "There are a lot of factors and I remember when we were thinking about Salzburg and a few other clubs, we realised very early on that Salzburg was the best option. I always thought to myself: 'I can't overvalue myself'. That has always been important for me, being able to say: 'Yes, I'm a good player, but there are a lot of good players', I've always thought that way, and not having this idea that I am better than I actually am".
In the end it was Borussia Dortmund who landed the Norwegian striker, paying 20 million euros to Salzburg and a further 23 million in commission - eight for the player's father and 15 for his agent, Mino Raiola. He now earns 4.5 million euros, before tax, per season. He certainly has the profile that Real Madrid are looking for.