In a startling development this December, Bild are reporting that Red Bull Salzburg wonder-kid, Erling Braut Håland is available for an absolute bargain this winter. The report states that the Norwegian has a release clause in his contract which could see him leave for a mere £17m in the January window. Europe’s elite will be thinking Christmas has come early, with the race for his signature initially looking like it would cost the winner in excess of £80m.
IF this report is true, and with football contracts that “if” is always in block capitals, then it seems likely he will end up in the Bundesliga. Reports across Germany are suggesting that Håland will be a Borussia Dortmund player by the time the calendar flips over into February.
It seems strange to me that there isn’t a whole lot of traction with rumours linking the youngster with a move to Salzburg’s sister club, RB Leipzig. If that was to happen then the Red Bull organisation still profits from the £17m transfer fee, as well as his continued service to the Red Bull brand AND what you can expect to be a hefty transfer fee when the time eventually does come for him to move elsewhere.
Erling Braut Håland an absolute steal
This, to me, seems like the most sensible move from a business standpoint if you’re the Red Bull chiefs. It’ll also work for the player too who, according to BILD, wants to make use of a “stepping stone” before he follows in his Father’s footsteps and moves to the Premier League.
From a fans point of view, it’s a little bit… how do I put this? Icky? Yeah, I’ll go with icky. The way RB Leipzig present themselves in Germany, and the very un-German brand of business they have adopted in the football world, haven’t won them very many friends across Deutschland. This type of backroom deal between sister clubs is exactly the type of things Bundesliga fans far and wide hate about the Red Bull organisation – so I guess any deal will depend on how attached they are to their already dwindling reputation.
The other situation that has been developing over the season was a potential move to Manchester United with the Premier League giants willing to spare no expense to bring him to England. As mentioned above, according to the report from Bild, Håland believes a stepping stone is in order before a move like that occurs.
However, the Norwegian could make himself a hero in Manchester as early as next week when Salzburg go up against United’s bitter rivals, Liverpool, in the Champions League. If Salzburg can pick up the three points and Napoli can overcome Genk, the European champions will crash out of the competition – which will be much to the delight of everyone in Manchester, red or blue.
For now though, it seems most likely that the 19-year-old star will be playing his football at the Westfalenstadion as of the winter transfer window. It’s a move that will very much excite Dortmund fans and to be honest, it excites me too. Håland playing alongside Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho and company will make Dortmund a major force to be reckoned with.
Dortmund will need to get this deal wrapped up sharpish with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla and Valencia all circling. Could he be the key to bringing the first Bundesliga title to Dortmund since the 2011-12 season? He could just be…
For more like this, visit our dedicated football page here. Meanwhile, follow us on Facebook for more opinions and analysis right to your timeline.