Real Madrid set their sights on Haaland or Mbappé
With the message coming out of Paris that it is going to be very difficult to sign Mbappé, Madrid are best placed to land Norwegian ace Haaland.
Real Madrid continue to think that the efforts they are making this season, with a cost-cutting, slim squad, will give them the possibility to make sweeping changes over the summer. The club's plan is clear - to try to sign Mbappé, the first option. But the sensation they get from Paris is that it is an operation which is getting increasingly more complicated. There are several other names on Madrid's agenda, such as Camavinga and Haaland. Madrid get the feeling that signing Haaland would be the best alternative if it turns out to be impossible to land Mbappé.
The cost of signing Mbappé and Haaland
In terms of how much each player would cost, there is not much difference between Mbappé and Haaland, who have a similar market value. The French striker will soon enter the final year of his contract with PSG and presumably would cost around 150 million euros - a similar price to Haaland, who has hit 23 goals in 23 games this season, 39 in 41 since he joined Borussia Dortmund. The main difference, as far as Real Madrid are concerned, would be Mbappé's salary. There is no way that Madrid could match the 37 million euro net salary which the player would earn to bring him in line with Neymar; but the 12 million which Haaland would command is within their budget.
The squad wage bill at Real Madrid is 448 million euros. That is still a high figure considering the 617 million euro budget which the club has set aside for this season. However, once the crisis is over and with the new stadium, the club is hoping that income will exceed 800 million.
Diario AS has been told by credible sources at Borussia Dortmund that there is no signed agreement which would allow Haaland to leave for 75 million in the summer of 2022, but there is a verbal pact which would “facilitate” his sale during that transfer window. That is a verbal agreement which Dortmund have with the player's agent, Mino Raiola, who was responsible for taking Haaland there from Salzburg on very favourable terms: 20 million euros plus 23 million in commissions (eight for the player's father and 15 for Mino Raiola). Luring Haaland away from Dortmund a year earlier, in other words this year, would be a more expensive operation, but Madrid are sure that considering the number of top European club pushing to sign the player, he will end up leaving on a big money transfer either in 2021 or 2022.
Three reasons why Haaland is a serious option
Real Madrid secretly feel confident that they are the best placed to land the Norwegian. For three reasons. The first is the player has hinted that he would like to play for Real Madrid. Martin Ødegaard, his close friend in the national team, knows very well that Haaland would relish a move to the Bernabéu. Secondly, Mino Raiola is keen to start negotiating with Real Madrid again after his relationship with Florentino Pérez soured in 2016 for the failed attempt to sign Paul Pogba. And, lastly, for the long-standing working relationship which Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joaquim Watzke enjoys with Florentino Pérez. Dortmund would give Madrid priority over negotiations with other clubs. If signing Mbappé is impossible, the revolution will start with Haaland.