Barcelona have reportedly made an initial offer of €105 million for Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, who is valued in the upwards of €150 million.
According to journalist and transfer expert Ian McGarry on the Transfer Window Podcast (h/t Sports Mole), La Liga heavyweights have launched an opening bid of €105 million for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland ahead of the summer transfer window.
Haaland has established himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe over the past eighteen months. Having signed for Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window last year, the 20-year-old Norwegian has plundered goals for fun in domestic competitions as well as the UEFA Champions League, making the who’s who of European football sit up and take notice.
Heading into the summer transfer window, Haaland is at the top of the transfer wishlist of a host of top clubs in England including the likes of Manchester United, while the centre-forward is also being chased ardently by Real Madrid as well as Barcelona. However, it seems like it is the Catalan giants who have made the first move in trying to secure the transfer of the former Red Bull Salzburg striker, if McGarry is to be believed.
As per the journalist, Barcelona have made an initial offer of around €105 million for Haaland, although he does go on to add that Dortmund are very much likely to dismiss that bid as they value him in the upwards of €150 million.
“Barcelona have made an initial bid that we understand to be €105m (£90m). I suspect that it’s not a bid that they believe will be accepted by Borussia Dortmund, given the valuation of the player is probably upwards of €150m (£128.73m), However, as all negotiations do they start with a whisper rather than with a shout. [Laporta] has effectively made the opening shot if you like to Borussia Dortmund, with regards to trying to fund a deal,” he said on the Transfer Window Podcast.
It is rather interesting that Barcelona have been able to launch a bid of such huge magnitude given their financial problems. Nevertheless, a new, prolific centre-forward is something that the Blaugrana desperately need given that they failed to replace Luis Suarez last summer while captain and talisman Lionel Messi is staring at an uncertain future, as his contract with the club expires in over a month.
Reports had claimed that Barcelona had already started looking at alternatives for Haaland, including Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, given the funds that would be involved in his signing. However, it seems like the Catalans are set to go all out in their bid to land the Norwegian international in the summer. It now remains to be seen how Dortmund respond to the initial offer that the La Liga heavyweights have made for their star striker.