Borussia Dortmund megastar Erling Haaland is the talk of the transfer market, along with Kylian Mbappe from PSG. Both of these young, talented attackers are set to leave their teams in the coming months or years. It is clear to everyone involved in football that Mbappe seems stuck on the idea of joining Real Madrid. However, in the case of Haaland, it is difficult to say. He seems hyperfocused on his team and his play and does not entertain much of the transfer talk surrounding him. Thus, we are going to make it easier for him and his agent, so here are the two best destinations for Dortmund star Erling Haaland.
Best destinations for Haaland
Real Madrid
Surprise, surprise, it is the Spanish giants Real Madrid. In the simplest of terms, this is a club where great players come to become legends of the game. It is difficult to say, with respect to Manchester United, whether Cristiano Ronaldo would be considered one of the GOATs if he remained in England. He came to Real Madrid and dominated La Liga and the Champions League. If Erling Haaland wants to be looked at in the same manner, he needs to buy a one-way ticket to Madrid.
If we were to assume that Mbappe is most likely going to the same club, this will be one of the best-assembled rosters in football history. Haaland would join a squad that dominates this season of La Liga, plays a very nice brand of football, and would get tutelage from one of the best facilitators in this era of football in Karim Benzema. Alongside Benzema and Mbappe, Brazilian phenom Vinicius Jr would join the most potent attack assembled since the Messi-Suarez-Neymar era in Barcelona. With their age considered, it is even crazier to think about this front three of Vini-Haaland-Mbappe.
Apart from the fanfare of the thing, Real Madrid is also a very healthy surrounding. It is one of the only clubs, at least the only one without direct foreign investment, that was able to breeze through COVID-19 stricken seasons. They managed to even finance a huge reconstruction of the iconic Santiago Bernabeu, set to open in December of 2022, and to strengthen the youth of their squad with a mix of outside players such as Camavinga and Militao, and insiders like Valverde. If Erling Haaland joins this club, it will be the best option for a stable future.
If Haaland wants all of these, he needs to be in Madrid. If he wants to build his own legacy, he will choose a different place. Haaland might also consider the fact that no one is above the club in Madrid. That means that he will not be able to have too much power given to specific players in other teams, which might be more important to him. Also, playing with Mbappe looks good on paper, but that means that he will have to share a spotlight, which is not always preferable for these types of talents. There are positives, but some negatives might be really important to the Norwegian.
Financially, this makes the most sense, maybe next to PSG. Considering that PSG seems set to build around Messi and Neymar, it is unlikely to see Erling Haaland joining that team, so City is the best option if finances are the focus. With bottomless pockets of the owners, Manchester City can send a blank cheque to Haaland and his agent, Mino Raiola, and have a new piece to build around. Plus, his father also played for the club.
It also makes a lot of sense in terms of sport. Haaland is a physical player, who puts a lot of emphasis on pace and strength. Thus, the English Premier League would be absolutely perfect for him. He would be able to absolutely dominate the fields in Britain with his playstyle, and he would be able to take the abuse of opposing players which is typical for British football. Also, with guys like De Bruyne and Bernando Silva behind him, Haaland would get a lot of service and his job would be simply to put them away. It is not difficult to see Erling Haaland scoring 60 goals in a season if City can reach later rounds of the Champions League and league cups.
The best reasoning for City, arguably, would be the spotlight. While this team is full of world-class players, Haaland is on a different level. Of course, he is still not on the level of De Bruyne, for example, in pure footballing ability. However, he is much more in the focus and it is widely known that whoever does it in the EPL, is simply rated higher in some discussions around the footballing world. One of the biggest criticism of Messi is that he never played in England, so many rate Ronaldo higher due to his domination of the EPL during his first Manchester United stint.
Of course, there are issues with City as well. While they have been a factor in the last decade, the Citizens are really not that big of a team, historically. A possible better option in England would be Manchester United, as their reputation is on a historical level and they are, most probably, the biggest club in the league. If Haaland wants to build a legacy in England, United is his next destination. Additionally, someone like Kun Aguero, who really dominated in Manchester City, is still rated lower than some guys who have been able to play excellent in other English teams.
The destination really depends on what Erling Haaland wants to achieve with his football career. We really do not know much about him personally and his wishes. He is a player that really puts all his concentration into his current season and does not speak much, so it is difficult to make predictions. However, based on all factors, the logical choices seem to be Real Madrid and Manchester City.
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