Chelsea have for an appreciable period of time been linked with a move for Erling Haaland this summer and one of their European rivals are now joining the race to sign the prolific frontman.
Young Norwegian superstar Haaland easily demonstrated why he’s one of Europe’s best forwards after he bagged a hat-trick in Borussia Dortmund’s opening match of the season as the Norwegian striker netted a 25-minute treble to help his side to a 3-0 away win against Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB-Pokal first round as the Schwarzgelben look to defend their title.
This has sparked further debate on where Haaland’s future lies, with a number of the biggest clubs in Europe interested in the striker, including Manchester United.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has also been reportedly keen on bringing him to Stamford Bridge but Romelu Lukaku’s imminent switch from Inter Milan seems to have ended the Blues’ interest in the Dortmund star temporarily.
After Saturday night’s game, Dortmund chief Sebastian Kehl reiterated the club’s stance that Haaland is going nowhere this summer despite on-going attention from across the continent.
However, Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamdzic confirmed that the club is interested in a move for Haaland and that he would be firmly on their radar.
Speaking to Sport 1, Salihamidzic said: “This is a top player that probably the whole world wants.
“Of course we are looking there. Otherwise we would be complete amateurs.”
Salihamidzic’s statement is a clear indication of the German champions making their move for Haaland in the summer of 2022, when the Norwegian hitman’s release clause drops appreciably to £68million.
It is also a statement that is bound to kick-start a mad transfer scramble with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, amongst others, who will be zooming back in for the kill next summer.
The 21-year-old finished as the Bundesliga’s second-highest goalscorer in 2020/21 and went on to grab 41 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.
Only Robert Lewandowski netted more than Haaland last term, but with the Poland international turning 33 this month, Bayern could obviously require another striker to bolster their attacking options.
As the Blues are close to completing the £98 million transfer for Lukaku within the next few days, it’s unlikely that the Haaland deal will be following suit but it remains to be seen as to whether they will pursue that move in the future.