Man City dealt Erling Haaland transfer blow as Dortmund chief drops major hint

Borussia Dortmund‘s head of first-team football Sebastian Kehl is confident Erling Haaland will stay at the club beyond next summer.

The Borussia Dortmund’s striker is reportedly Pep Guardiola’s ‘primary striker target’ as he looks for a new No 9 after the departure of Sergio Aguero last summer.

The 21-year-old striker has become one of the most sought-after players in the transfer market since making his breakthrough at Red Bull Salzburg a couple of years ago.

The Norwegian has plundered 70 goals in 69 appearances across Bundesliga and European games since signing for Dortmund from RB Salzburg in January 2020.

Such remarkable progress in Germany has invariably put the Norwegian goal machine on the radars of many European football clubs, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid among his suitors.

But figures at Dortmund seem confident the Norwegian superstar will stick around beyond 2022, despite the heavyweight interest, according to Borussia Dortmund’s head of first-team football Sebastian Kehl.

“Of course, we are trying to give him [Haaland] the feeling that Borussia Dortmund continues to be a top address for him and that he can still develop here,” Kehl told BILD on Sunday.

“Maybe we can still convince him. We will fight for him. We will try everything. The decision has not yet been made, but I would bet €100 (£85) [on him staying].”

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has also recently stated that Haaland will stay at the club beyond next summer.

“I recently had an espresso with my ex-colleague Aki Watzke in Munich. He told me that he was very optimistic that Haaland would still play for Borussia Dortmund next season, ” he said in his column in Bild.

That doesn’t mean that Manchester City won’t have another chance to land Haaland’s signature next summer, however, with a well-documented £68million release clause in his Dortmund contract becoming active in June 2022.

Pep Guardiola’s side will reportedly host negotiations with Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola in January over a potential transfer next summer, But face tough competition from United, with Haaland’s former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also identifying him as his next marquee signing.