Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland will move to England next summer. Haaland could leave the German club next year as his release clause comes into play in the summer of 2022.
In an interview with Bild, Wenger stated that Premier League’s economic might will be the reason why the Norwegian will move to England. The French manager believes that Haaland will be the next prolific goalscorer after Kylian Mbappe. Despite signing Cristiano Ronaldo, and having a number of options in attack, Manchester United are still interested in signing the Norwegian.
Haaland could be available for a fee of £68 million next summer. In 64 appearances for the club, the player has scored a whopping 63 goals and provided a further 18 assists.
Erling Haaland: Is Manchester United His Ideal Destination?
Erling Haaland is well on his way to becoming one of the best goal-scorers of his generation. The Norwegian has racked up incredible numbers so far in his short professional career and has taken the footballing world by storm over the last few seasons.
He has made the jump from lower levels of football to the top leagues of Europe very swiftly and has looked at home wherever he has played. He is strong, quick, has an eye for goal, and can also link up well with fellow attackers. He is supremely confident in his abilities, like most top goal-scorers.
Erling Haaland would be a fantastic addition to most top sides in Europe, including Manchester United. The Norwegian already has a good relationship with Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who signed the 21-year-old when he was manager of Molde. Solskjaer currently has at his disposal a wide array of talent in attacking areas: Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood through the middle; Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial out wide; and Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard behind the main striker.
The question, then, that arises is where Haaland would play if United do sign him. Cavani is in the final year of his contract and it’s likely that he will leave at the end of the current season. Ronaldo is on a two-year deal with the club and he may not stay longer than that, especially if United don’t win any silverware. Greenwood is seen as the next big striker at United, but a club like United would need at least two quality centre-forwards. Haaland and Greenwood could function in the same side – as Greenwood can play out wide – and also be rotated for the central position.
Chelsea have Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner and the Blues may not be in the market for another striker, while Liverpool’s owners may not be ready to part with the funds needed to sign Erling Haaland.
Manchester City are perhaps the only other English club apart from Manchester United who could go all-out for Haaland. The Norwegian has ties with the club as his father played there, while he has a better chance of winning at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City than Solskjaer’s United. Such a possibility could influence his decision-making if a time-frame is of any importance to the player.
City have an enviable midfield and Haaland will get more chances to score – and win trophies – at City. At the moment, the blue half of Manchester seems to be the ideal destination for the 21-year-old given the lack of a striker at the club and also the fact that City saved millions in wages after failing to sign Cristiano Ronaldo; if that move doesn’t materialise, a reunion with Solskjaer could be on the cards.