Borussia Dortmund chief Hanz Joachim Watzke has reacted to rumours of Erling Haaland exit amid Real Madrid and Barcelona interest.

Speaking to SPORT1, as relayed by Goal.com, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joacim Watzke has claimed that the club will not be forced into sanctioning the sale of superstar Erling Haaland amidst links to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old Haaland is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe after an explosive 18-month stint with Dortmund. Having signed from RB Salzburg in January last year, the Norwegian has plundered 68 goals in 67 games, establishing himself as a top marksman, leading to interest from top clubs across the continent.

Indeed, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain have all shown an interest in securing the services of Haaland.

Amidst the widespread interest, there have been claims made that Dortmund may have to offload the 21-year-old after they were listed on the stock exchange or else they might run the risk of being unable to pay out the investors. However, club chief Watzke has absolutely lashed out at these speculations, insisting that any sale would be made on their terms only.

Erling Haaland is a man in demand. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland is a man in demand. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

“It has not yet been decided whether it will really leave in the summer,” Watzke has told Sport 1. “We’ll just have a look. I heard someone say: ‘They have to sell Haaland because they are listed on the stock exchange.’ This is all bullsh*t. The decision whether someone is sold at our company is made by the management and only by the management.”

Further elaborating on the interest that the 21-year-old Haaland was attracting and his future at the club, Watzke insisted that he trusted the striker and his agent, Mino Raiola, to make a decision in their best interests.

“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.”

Real Madrid are eyeing a double deal for both Haaland and Kylian Mbappe while Barcelona, too, have been linked with the Norwegian international. Given the amount of interest from other clubs as well, it will be interesting to see where Haaland ends come next summer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.