Football NewsHans Joachim Watzke, BVB won’t be forced into sanctioning a transfer for Erling Haaland next year
Post image

Haaland is widely regarded as the most exciting young striker of his generation. He has proven he can consistently deliver the goods on the biggest stage since joining Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg for €20 million in January last year.

Watzke has insisted that it is not a foregone conclusion Haaland will leave in 2022

According to the club’s CEO Hans Joachim Watzke, Borussia Dortmund won’t be forced into sanctioning a transfer for Erling Haaland next year, who has labelled recent rumours about their financial situation “nonsense”. Haaland is widely regarded as the most exciting young striker of his generation. He has proven he can consistently deliver the goods on the biggest stage since joining Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg for €20 million in January last year. The 21-year-old is attracting attention from Europe’s biggest clubs, but Watzke has insisted it is not a foregone conclusion he will leave in 2022. It has been reported that Dortmund will need to sell Haaland after being listed on the stock exchange or else risk being unable to pay out to investors. Still, the chief executive insists he and the rest of the board will have the final say on his future.

Rumours about Erling’s leave is all nonsense

“It has not yet been decided whether it will really leave in the summer,” Watzke has told reporters. “We’ll just have a look. I heard someone say: ‘They have to sell Haaland because they are listed on the stock exchange.’ It is all nonsense. The decision whether someone is sold at our company is made by the management and only by the management.” Haaland reportedly has a release clause between €75 million and €100m in his contract with Dortmund that is set to become active next summer. Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with him. Still, Watzke has complete trust in his agent, Mino Raiola, to advise the forward on the best next step in his career.

“The ball lies in Erling’s court. I get on well with Mino Raiola because we can assess each other well,” he added. “I know what makes him tick. It is not right to believe that Raiola is all about the money. He also has in mind what is best for Erling.” In the last transfer window, Watzke also discussed Jadon Sancho’s big-money move to Manchester United from Dortmund, revealing it was fuelled by his desire to receive more recognition on the international stage. “One of the reasons for his transfer was a lack of acceptance in the English national team,” he said of the winger. “I love Jadon. You get tears in your eyes when you watch him play.”