Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is set to become the most sought after striker in world football this summer. The teenage sensation only signed for the German giants in January; however, the elite of World football could be set to do battle even though there’s a release clause in his contract that can be activated in two years.
19-year-old Haaland has all the attributes needed to be one of the finest of his generation. Should his development continue, there’s little doubt that in the near future, he will be the best striker in the world.
Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland: Future Best Striker in the World
Goals Galore
This season alone for Dortmund and previously RB Salzburg, Haaland has scored a staggering 39 goals. How many he will have by the end of the season is anyone’s guess. Haaland has hit six hat-tricks so far and 10 goals in seven Champions League games.
Before joining Dortmund in January, for what appears to be a bargain at €20 million, the 19-year-old had scored 28 goals this season. Another 11 have come his way since moving to Signal Iduna Park. An average of one goal every 41 minutes at his new club shows he knows exactly where the goal is. His amazing goalscoring form earned him the Bundesliga ‘Player of the Month’ award for January. He played less than an hour during the month.
Lightning Pace
Coming from a sporting family, his father is the former Leeds United midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland and his mother was the Norwegian national champion in the heptathlon, you would expect the youngster to be a good athlete. However, he is not just good, he is an exceptional athlete. During the recent game against PSG, Haaland ran 60 meters in just 6.64 seconds. The current world record for that distance currently stands at 6.34 seconds.
Height and Power a Match for any Defender
At 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 13 and a half stone, Haaland has, along with his pace, the height and power to trouble any defender in the world. His left foot strike against European giants Paris Saint-Germain was as powerful a shot as you would see. The goal won the game for his team.
He Can Only Get Better
At just 19, Haaland is already one of the best strikers in Europe. At the rate he is improving at, it surely won’t be too long before he is considered the best striker in the world. His teammate at Dortmund Axel Witsel believes he is set to become a great player:
“He is a goal-scorer, he is 19, he’s a great talent. He still has huge room for improvement but he is on the road to becoming a truly great player.”
With many years ahead of him, Haaland has the potential to break any goalscoring record he wishes.
A Wanted Man, Again?
In January, Dortmund won the race to sign the young star. His contract has a release clause of £63 million. However, this cannot be triggered until 2022. Even so, Europes elite will want him as soon as possible. Should Haaland move on this summer, Dortmund could easily receive substantially more than his release clause, especially if a bidding war comes into play.
Manchester United were strongly linked with Haaland in January as Ole Gunnar Solskjær desperately tried to add a striker to his squad. Real Madrid were also reportedly interested. According to the Mirror, United pulled out of the deal due to release clause demands and his agent wanting a cut of any future transfer fee. United may now be regretting their decision and decide to try again in the near future.
However, due to his recent performances, United will have competition. More clubs will be expected to make a move. It would be a surprise if any interested parties would want to wait until 2022, even if they would have to pay a lot more.
Haaland is already an exceptional talent. It won’t be too long before he is considered the best in his position.
