Playing the field: Haaland agent ‘to meet with at least five top clubs’ before making decision on blockbuster summer transfer

Representatives for Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland will meet with a host of top clubs interested in signing the 20-year-old star before deciding on his future, according to reports.

Barcelona fans went into meltdown on Thursday when the striker’s father, Alfe-Inge Haaland, and agent Mino Raiola were seen arriving in the city ahead of supposed talks with Camp Nou president Joan Laporta. 

Speculation was immediately ignited that the Catalan giants – despite all their cash woes – were now the frontrunners to secure the signature of one of world football’s hottest young properties.

However, the Blaugrana faithful may need to quell their expectations after transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported that the meeting with the Barcelona top brass was merely one stage of a strategy which would see Raiola and Haaland Sr eventually sound out all the top parties keen on securing the Dortmund star. According to Romano, that includes Barca’s La Liga rivals Real Madrid, who are also said to be keen.

“Mino Raiola is meeting with Real Madrid after Barcelona and the plan for Haaland is so clear: talk with 5 top clubs interested, their projects, proposals and then decide for the future,” tweeted Romano, whose word is held by many to be gospel in any transfer dealings. 

“It’ll be a long race. BVB position: won’t accept less than €150m to sell him this summer.”   

Thoughts will now turn to who those big players might be alongside the Spanish duo, with the obvious candidates being cash-rich Premier League pair Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as the petrodollar-fueled Paris Saint-Germain. Perhaps seen as outsiders, Manchester United and Liverpool could also conceivably be on the list.

Indeed, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Raiola and Alfe-Inge Haaland will jet to London on Friday for the next leg of their tour, meeting representatives of four Premier league teams. 

Norway international Haaland is widely reported to have a release clause set at €75 million ($88 million / £64 million) which kicks in next summer. Dortmund have asserted they are determined to keep hold of him until at least that time, meaning one more season in the Bundesliga beyond the current campaign – although as Romano suggested, an offer of €150 million could see them cash in this summer.

The Germans bought Haaland for a bargain fee of around €20 million from RB Salzburg back in 2019, and the youngster has since continued his astonishing rise, hitting 49 goals in 49 appearances across all competitions for the Westfalenstadion club.

The crucial question for any interested parties will likely be whether they steal a march on their rivals this summer and offer a premium price to tempt Dortmund into a sale, or risk waiting until next year when a bidding war could be even more intense given the knock-down fee that would be triggered in Haaland’s contract.

Haaland has continued his incredible upward trajectory at Dortmund. © Reuters

Football super-agent Raiola recently declared that Haaland would benefit “any club in the world” who can afford sign him.

"With Haaland, everybody was wrong. He did things much quicker than everybody imagined,” Raiola said of his client. 

“Haaland is in front of his own development. He is ahead of his own schedule. Maybe I was too careful when I said, ‘Oh no, let’s move to Dortmund instead of I-don’t-know-where’.

“This boy – I’m 100 per cent convinced and everybody’s convinced – can move to any club, wherever he wants, already on this level...

“He is quicker than his own prediction. So yeah, Haaland is the talk of the town.”