Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, who is linked with Chelsea and Manchester City, among other clubs, reportedly prefers a transfer to Real Madrid.
According to a report from Goal, prolific Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Haaland would prefer to join Real Madrid next year ahead of other interested parties such as Chelsea, Manchester City, among other clubs.
Haaland has established himself as one of the most sought-after centre-forwards in the game after his exploits with Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. Having burst into prominence during his time with the Austrian giants, the 21-year-old snubbed interest from a host of top clubs to sign for the Black and Yellows in January last year.
Since moving to Germany, Haaland has taken his game up several notches, becoming one of the most feared strikers in the game currently, along with the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema. In 69 games for Dortmund, he has plundered 70 goals and set up 19 more, with 13 of his strikes coming in the ongoing campaign before an injury struck him down.
Haaland’s goalscoring acumen has meant that every elite club across Europe has expressed an interest in his services at one point over the past couple of seasons. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked in the recent past along with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea, who seem to be holding a very strong interest in the Dortmund hitman.
Real Madrid’s interest in Haaland stems from the fact that they need to sooner or later replace 33-year-old Benzema despite how strong he is going currently. With both Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz proving ineffective as backup, bolstering the centre-forward slot in the summer has become a top priority for Los Blancos, with Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both being targeted.
Chelsea, too, have been strongly linked with a move for the Norwegian international, with manager Thomas Tuchel himself admitting the club’s interest in the striker. While the Blues spent big on Romelu Lukaku last summer, question marks remain over the future of the underperforming Timo Werner, who is being linked with Barcelona. His potential departure could create room for Haaland’s arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have been credited with an interest in Haaland since the summer window, as they were on the hunt for a striker to replace Sergio Aguero. The rumours have continued to do the rounds, with reports indicating that the Cityzens are set to open talks to sign the Dortmund striker shortly.
However, it seems like both Chelsea and Manchester City and other suitors may have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of Haaland as the striker is believed to favour a transfer to Real Madrid. Although, the report does specify that the former Molde starlet is yet to make a decision on his future and might be wary of sharing the spotlight with Mbappe at Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old is contracted with Dortmund till 2024 but has a release clause worth €75 million which will become active next year. With Haaland seemingly open to a move, it remains to be seen whether Real Madrid are willing to trigger that clause.
