‘He will land there.’
That’s what Christoph Freund, the sporting director of the Borussia Dortmund striker’s former club Red Bull Salzburg, is saying in agreement with German legend Lothar Matthaus that 20-year-old Erling Haaland will join Jurgen Klopp at Anfield instead of arch rivals Manchester United or even Real Madrid if he leaves Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland has eight goals and three assists in nine goals to his credit for Borussia Dortmund this season, having spent two years at the Austrian club, and scored 20 goals in 16 domestic appearances and eight goals in six Champions League games in the first-half of last season, before moving to Dortmund in January.
The Norwegian wonderkid had been strongly linked with a move to Old Traford, having played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde, but snubbed Old Trafford’s advances and ended up in Germany instead, where he has quickly ascended the rungs to become one of football’s most prolific goalscorers.
Having signed for Dortmund for just £18million, Haaland has since managed 24 goals and six assists in 27 appearances for the Bundesliga side.
Despite only joining his new club earlier this year, Haaland is now widely tipped to make a major leap up to one of the top clubs in Europe, with Real Madrid and even Barcelona said to be among his many suitors.
However after German football icon Matthaus suggested Haaland could join Liverpool, Salzburg chief Freund admitted he believes the striker will eventually end up at Anfield, too.
“He will land there,” he told Sky90. “He can play for any club in the world.
“With his mentality, his will and self confidence, he will be able to make a mark on European football in the next ten years.”
Freund also finally talked about Haaland’s exit from the Austian club, and admitted they had no choice but to bow down to the player’s wishes to leave.
“Erling really bit us,” he said. “The talks with Dortmund were short. They told us they had come to an agreement.
“We didn’t have that much influence on it, but it worked out correctly.
“Many clubs were interested and got in touch. In the end, it was a decision made by the player.”