Real Madrid: Haaland transfer pact remains, despite Borussia Dortmund CEO's "bullshit" claims
Hans-Joachim Watzke's recent comments in an interview on German TV do not tell the full story about Erling Braut Haaland's Borussia Dortmund future.
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke’s recent remarks about Erling Braut Haaland’s future at the club have not gone down well in the player’s camp.
“It’s all bullshit,” Watzke told German television channel Sport1 when asked about reports Haaland will be leaving Dortmund after the 2021/22 season. “Some experts say, ‘They’re in the stock market, they’re going to have to sell Haaland next summer.’
“The decision as to whether or not to sell someone at our club is taken exclusively by the board. It has not yet been decided if he will leave next summer. We’ll see.”
Haaland has Dortmund's word he can leave in summer 2022
However, the reality of the situation is quite different. AS has been told by Dortmund sources that the club continue to have an agreement with Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, whereby they will agree to negotiate the player’s sale at the end of the current campaign.
The striker’s side of the bargain was not to push for a transfer in summer 2021 - despite having major offers from top European clubs - and to wait until next year. Having done as agreed, Haaland is now all set to depart Signal Iduna Park in the summer.
No 75m-euro release clause
AS’ sources say nothing has been signed; it is a purely verbal agreement that Dortmund will listen to offers for Haaland in 2022. They also deny that there is a clause in the 21-year-old’s contract that will allow him to leave for 75m euros.
As things stand, Haaland’s chosen destination is Real Madrid. However, his decision is far from final, as it will also be heavily influenced by the opinion of Raiola, who has always displayed excellent instincts when it has come to recommending which clubs his clients should join.
When Haaland signed for Dortmund in 2020, for example, Raiola felt it was preferable to broker a transfer to a club that was at the elite level, but where the youngster would not be under as much pressure as at other teams. And he has been proved right.
Raiola took Haaland to Dortmund in what was a very good deal for the Bundesliga club, the Germans paying just 20m euros to RB Salzburg (plus 23m in commissions: eight to Haaland’s father and 15 to the agent). This was built upon the agreement that Watzke would not stand in the way of the forward’s sale in 2022.
Real Madrid and PSG leading chase for Haaland
A fierce battle for Haaland’s signature is therefore expected in the next summer transfer window, with Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain the likeliest candidates to snap up the star.
If, after the New Year, Madrid secure a pre-contract agreement to sign Kylian Mbappé when his PSG deal expires in June, the Parisians will go all out for Haaland. If, against all expectations, Mbappé opts to extend his PSG contract and stay in the French capital, the way will be left clear for Madrid to sign the Norwegian.