"I'm a footballer thanks to him" - Erling Haaland's old comments on 'role model' Cristiano Ronaldo resurface amid rumors of Manchester United move

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland's comments about Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo have resurfaced amidst rumours of the Norwegian joining Old Trafford. Haaland considers Ronaldo his "role model" and even stated that he became a footballer because of the Portuguese.

"I would love to meet him and tell him that I'm a footballer thanks to him. For me, he's always been a role model." said Erling Haaland.

Manchester United's interest in Erling Haaland goes way back to 2019 when the Norwegian wunderkid was available to sign. However, Haaland and his entourage decided to join Borussia Dortmund, breaking the hearts of many Red Devils' fans.

Since then, Haaland has proved his worth and has let the world know how good of a player he really is. His transfer value has skyrocketed since 2019. Last summer there was some concrete interest from elite clubs in signing Haaland.

We could witness a transfer battle between the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City to sign the 21-year-old next summer. However, since Ralf Rangnick's arrival as interim manager, there has been a great surge in interest in signing the Norwegian sharpshooter by United.

Manchester United would need to pay his release clause, which is around €75 million. This sum seems to be a bargain considering the current market value that Haaland has.

United could use the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo to tempt Haaland to make his move to Manchester as well. He has publicily admitted his love for Cristiano in the past and those quotes are now resurfacing on the internet.

Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo returns to training at Carrington

After training was closed due to a surge in COVID cases, Manchester United's No. 7 Cristiano Ronaldo is back at Carrington, the Red Devils' training ground. Cristiano Ronaldo joined his team-mates and even posted an image on Instagram after winning a training match with Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and others.

Manchester United recently had two matches postponed as the club had a Covid-19 outbreak. The matches will be added as mid-week fixtures for the club.

The Red Devils will now focus on staying fit during the congested festive period fixtures where all clubs will be tested physically.