Haaland: 66 days between praise, advice and Madrid's interest

If there is a player who has marked this football break in Europe forced by the coronavirus crisis, that has been Erling Braut Haaland (19 years old). In these 66 days that have elapsed since their last meeting, the second round of the Champions League against PSG (defeat by 2-0 and elimination) and the return of the competition (this Saturday in Movistar at 15:30, against Schalke ), the young Borussia Dortmund striker He has grabbed headlines, starred in praise, received advice and was constantly involved in the interest of Real Madrid in recruiting him for his future plan.

The irruption of the Nordic in the Bundesliga this season has been an event that has impacted Europe: sum in Borussia 12 goals in 11 games, which are 40 in 33 games if you count those he did with Salzburg at the start of the season. Only Mbappé's ‘advent’ outshone that of the Norwegian. The break in football due to the pandemic came at the worst moment for Haaland, who was released and was the ‘9’ most fit on the continent, but this forced pause has also served as a glory bath. The praise of experts and former players has been constant. “It's an animal”Cassano defined him. “In a couple of years he will go to a great team for 200 or 300 million; he is the strongest of all,” predicted Vieri. “It is a beast”, settled Tuchel, who 'suffered' in the Champions League (he doubled in PSG's defeat in the first leg of the second round). “It's a bloody storm, run like Usain Bolt”, Berbatov exclaimed in reference to the vertiginous races and the surprising coordination of movements despite his physique (1.94 meters high). “He will be the best forward of the next decade”, He did not hesitate to AS Christoph Freund, sports director of the Salzburg, former team of the fashion player in Europe. Figo also raised the pro-Haaland flag and wailed in the air: “Madrid had to sign him before Borussia.”

That interest from Madrid has altered Haaland's agenda in this break. In his few public speeches, journalists have asked him about those white siren songs. “I focus on doing my job, not on the attention that others direct towards me. I do my job the best I can, it is what I like the most, ”he says cautiously. His idea about his future is clear and he outlined it in an interview on Eurosport Norway: “Before choosing which club you are going to, you have to measure how good you are, how good the club is, the people there , how they take care of you, how they help you evolve… ”. Haaland is the nine that he likes the most at the Santiago Bernabéu and the option to sign him is on the agenda. He is a scoring prodigy and Madrid misses just that, the goal. But for the moment, the player chooses to launch cautious messages, aware of his youth and his projection.

Prudence messages

These arguments are those put forward by those who have come onto the scene advising the player not to be in a hurry to make the jump to Madrid or Manchester United, the other team that yearns for him (his coach, Solskjaer, already had him in the Mold). One of those who gave his opinion on this football fast was Lewandowski, the most unforgiving scorer in the Bundesliga in the last decade. The Bayern player drew on experience and recommended that he put a little pause: “It has great potential, but it still has time. It could be good for him if he stayed in the Bundesliga any longer before taking the next step. “ McManaman, a former Real Madrid player, sent him a notice: “You should not leave the boat prematurely and go directly to Real Madrid. You've already seen what happened to Luka Jovic ”… The last to speak out in favor of extending his stay in Dortmund was a German legend like Matthaus. “Haaland needs to play; better a couple of years and Madrid”, he said in #Come on.

As reported by AS, there is no clause signed in the contract he signed with Borussia that allows him to go out for 75 million euros from the 2020-21 winter market. There is only a verbal agreement between his agent, Mino Raiola, and the German club, to deal with his sale from 2022 if a big one arrives. But much earlier, this Saturday, the Norwegian returns to play and he does so surrounded by praise, advice and with Real Madrid attentive to all his movements.