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Erling Haaland has been in sensational form this season. With less than a month left until the summer transfer window, rumors of him leaving Dortmund have intensified.
Haaland has been linked with a number of top European clubs for quite a while and a move away from Borussia Dortmund this summer looks imminent.
Haaland is a great talent and is destined to achieve big things in the future. Apparently, Dortmund have set a price tag of £150m given the player’s performances and demand.
Manchester United, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are making good progress overall as a team but it does look as though they are desperately in need of a quality #9 in their team for the long run.
So does it really make sense to sign the Norwegian striker this summer? Let’s find out.
#4 The Mino Raiola factor
Haaland has caught the eye of many with his stellar performances for Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year old Norwegian striker has scored 25 goals this season in just 27 Bundesliga matches.
To add, the youngster was devastatingly effective in the UEFA Champions League where he scored 10 goals in 8 appearances.
At a very young age, Haaland has earned a lot of plaudits and it is only natural that his signature is desired by the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and others. Clearly, United face some tough competition here and these are big, financially powerful clubs that we are talking about.
The other problem that United face is that of Erling Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola. It is public knowledge that the relationship between United and Raiola hasn't been the best due to some of the events involving Raiola’s other client Paul Pogba.
Raiola recently confirmed that Real Madrid have the financial strength to sign Haaland.
With Raiola's reputation, it is a tricky deal for United to get done even if they have the financial strength.
#3 Haaland’s release clause
As was clearly seen in the Jadon Sancho saga last summer, it has not been easy for Manchester United to negotiate with Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund may be a selling club but it is important to strike the right chord with them.
Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc recently expressed his desire to keep Haaland at Dortmund for next season.
That being said, it is rumored that the Norwegian striker has a release clause in the range of €75-100m, which only gets activated next season.
Given the competition this summer and Dortmund’s stance of demanding at least £150m, most clubs wouldn’t be able to financially compete for his signature.
It only makes more sense for United to wait until the summer of 2022 and then go to a bidding war with the other European giants in case Haaland is not involved in a transfer this season.
#2 Harry Kane
It is understandable why United would need a natural striker like Haaland. Ever since Robin van Persie left United, the Red Devils have struggled to find a regular goal-scorer in their team.
With Edinson Cavani signing a contract extension for another year, it is assured that United will have the experience up front.
That being said, Cavani might not be as fresh and fit for every single game to lead the line considering his age. It seems that with time, Harry Kane has grown frustrated due to the lack of trophies won at Spurs.
There are rumors that the Englishman has asked Spurs to allow him to leave and this might be the best opportunity for United to go for his signature. The English striker has at least a good three or four years left in him and given the form he is in, there is no better striker to have in your team in the Premier league.
Kane has got experience in the league and would hardly need time to settle in comparison to Haaland. Plus, his hunger to win trophies could be at its peak, which can only act as a catalyst and bring success at United.
Of course, signing him from Spurs wouldn’t be that easy, but it should surely be more commercially feasible and practical than signing Haaland.
#1 The need for a winger
If United are to strongly challenge for the title next season, they will surely have to add more quality to at least two or three positions on the field. One of those positions is the right wing. Apart from Marcus Rashford, United haven’t been able to get the quality services that a winger can provide.
Anthony Martial has very much struggled with his consistency and it has not helped United one bit. Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri are still young and learning. With Mason Greenwood not being a natural winger, United are in dire need of an out-and-out winger to strongly compete across all competitions.
Jadon Sancho is one such option for the Reds. United tried to sign the English winger last summer but the move did not materialize. While it didn’t happen last summer, United do have a better chance this summer to convince Sancho and as per the rumors it looks like a possibility.
Signing Kane and Sancho does look like a better option right now rather than spending almost the same amount solely on Haaland.
Since Dortmund have now qualified for the Champions League and with the finances of most clubs severely affected by the pandemic, it will be interesting to see where Haaland ends up come next season.
Signing Haaland this summer will be a daunting task for any club interested in the Norwegian.
