Monday, March 7, 2022 at 09:03• Chris Meijer

There will be clarity about the near future of Erling Braut Haaland within a few weeks. The Athletic reports that 21-year-old Norwegian striker from Borussia Dortmund now looks set to make a choice between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Haaland can be picked up next summer for 75 million euros in Germany due to a surrender clause in his contract that runs until mid-2024.

In recent months, there has been incessant speculation about Haaland’s future. His entourage is also said to have spoken with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. The Catalans make no secret of the fact that the striker’s name is at the top of their wish list. “The club is working on it. It is not easy, but there are certainly opportunities. We are Barcelona and do everything within our means,” said Enric Masip, adviser to Barcelona president Joan Laporta, last weekend in conversation with TV3†

Haaland’s entourage would even have sat around the table with Xavi and Jordi Cruijff, but Barcelona currently does not have the best papers to bring him in. The candidates for Haaland will receive clarity within a few weeks and at the moment he seems to be making a choice between Manchester City and Real Madrid, partly due to the transfer fee, the commissions and the salary that must be paid. The summer arrival of Haaland is the priority at Manchester City.

That is currently not the case at Real Madrid, because in the Spanish capital they are first working on the transfer-free arrival of Kylian Mbappé. I would prefer the Royal Haaland will only pick up from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023. But if it is necessary to reach Haaland next summer, the Spanish capital will not fail to do so. That Haaland has to compete in Madrid with Karim Benzema and possibly Mbappe – although there has been speculation lately about a longer stay at PSG – would be in Manchester City’s favor.

Borussia Dortmund paid twenty million euros in January 2020 to take over the fifteen-time Norwegian international from Red Bull Salzburg. Since then, Haaland has scored 80 goals and 21 assists in 79 games in the shirt of the current number two in the Bundesliga.