Could Haaland say no to Madrid or Man Utd? Dortmund growing confident of keeping star striker

Stefan Bienkowski

• 1 Nov 2021 13:15 GMT
• 7 min read

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl believes the Bundesliga side can convince Erling Haaland to stay at the club next season.

Haaland is widely expected to have his pick of numerous clubs in the summer window, when a reported minimum-fee release clause could see the player depart Dortmund for just €90 million.

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As such, some of the world’s biggest clubs are extremely interested in signing the young talent, with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United all leading the way if the rumour mill is to be believed.

However, Kehl doesn’t believe Haaland’s future has been decided and is confident that Dortmund may be able to surprise a number of people by keeping the striker in the summer.

"Of course, we try to make him feel that Borussia Dortmund is still a top destination for him here,” said Kehl in an interview with BILD. “That he can continue to develop here and maybe we can still convince him."

As part of the interview, Kehl was even asked if he would bet on Haaland staying put and the Dortmund boss said he would be willing to bet €100 that Haaland stayed put.

"We will fight for him. We will put everything on the line,” added Kehl. "We'll need him for a long time. Maybe even longer than one or the other thinks."

Could Haaland stay at Dortmund?

While Dortmund may not have the same financial muscle as some of Europe’s biggest clubs, they do seem to be growing increasingly confident of keeping Haaland at the club beyond the end of this season.

Perhaps the most logical reason behind this new-found confidence may come from the fact that the player himself - as well as his father and agent - have never hid their desire to make moves based on Haaland’s own development. And at Dortmund the Norwegian talent is guaranteed game time each week in a league that is certainly helping him develop.

While potential suitors may be licking their lips at the prospect of signing Haaland on the cheap, the player himself may not be under any pressure to jump ship and join a bigger club anytime soon.