Erling Haaland: Borussia Dortmund striker opens up on why he felt it was the right time to talk about his future | Football News
Erling Haaland says it is time to “move on” from comments he made earlier this month in which he said Borussia Dortmund were pressuring him to make a decision over his future.
Haaland, who scored before going off injured in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim, has a contract with Dortmund until the summer of 2024, with a £64m release clause understood to come into effect this summer.
But earlier this month Haaland said Dortmund were “pressuring” him to make a decision over his future sooner rather than later.
Manchester City are thought to be frontrunners for Haaland’s signature should he decide to move to the Premier League.
Asked why he felt it was important to publicly address his situation, Haaland told Sky: “I don’t really want to say too much about it, but I felt it was time for me to say something.
“A lot of others were speaking – so that was it. Now, I don’t want to say too much. I said what I said, and now we move on.”
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Highlights of the Bundesliga clash between Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund
‘I can improve everything’
Haaland has scored 80 goals in 79 appearances since joining Dortmund from RB Salzburg two years ago, but the 21-year-old striker says he is determined to get even better
“I think I can improve on everything,” he said.
“If you say I am good at finishing, I can improve my finishing a lot. I can become faster, so I can improve that. I can become stronger, so I can improve that.
“But if I should improve one thing, it would be to not get injured, because if I am not injured I will play a lot more games and I will deliver even better. If you were to ask what my goals are for 2022, it is to not be injured, and the goals for the rest of my career are not be injured. That’s the main thing.”
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Kyle Walker presents the FIFA 22 Team of the Year which was voted for by the fans
Asked how his recovery from the muscle injury he sustained at the weekend, Haaland added: “It’s going good, I’m training good and I’ll soon be back.”
Haaland was recently named in the team of the year at the recent FIFA Best Awards, where Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was named as the top men’s player.
Asked what his selections would have been, Haaland said: That’s a good question but I think you would have to say Lewandowski number one, then you have, for me, Benzema has also been amazing, but Messi has also been outstanding – so Benzema and Messi in shared second and third place.”
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Haaland’s 56 goals in 57 Bundesliga appearances is a new record. Here is the best of the Norwegian force of nature!
Analysis: ‘Difficult for Haaland to say no to Guardiola’
Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
I would be very surprised if he stayed at Dortmund past this summer because of this release clause, and because of the kind of clubs who are after him. I think it’s going to be almost impossible for him to say no to some of these clubs who are going to put offers in front of him.
If you’re talking about seeing Haaland in the Premier League, Manchester City are in pole position. We know they’ve been looking for an out-and-out striker for a long time, even though they don’t really need one, and Pep Guardiola says ‘we’re thriving without an out-and-out striker’.
Pep Guardiola is a very demanding manager, you have to play the Pep Guardiola way, and do what he wants you to do. We’ve seen players take a while to adapt to that. Normally players take at least one season to adapt to his way of playing.
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Kaveh Solhekol says that Manchester City are in ‘pole position’ to sign Haaland, however, Borussia Dortmund are confident in keeping the star striker for another season
As far as Haaland is concerned, it would not be the easy option to go to Manchester City. Even though he would almost be guaranteed success if he was to go there.
He would be able to move to other clubs where he could score a lot more goals and perhaps not have to work so hard, and the environment wouldn’t be as demanding as it is at Manchester City, and then he could get his move to a Manchester City, Manchester United or Liverpool – or another club in the Premier League – three or four years down the line.
I think it’s going to be difficult for him to say no to Pep Guardiola.
I think somewhere down the line they need to sign a striker, and if you’re going to sign a striker, and are as powerful and successful as City are, why not get the best young striker in the world at a very sensible price.
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