Manchester United still have every intention of pursuing Borussia Dortmund striker next summer, despite the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, and will make signing the Norwegian their ‘priority’.
United came close to landing Haaland in January 2020 when he was contemplating his next step on from Red Bull Salzburg. Dortmund won the £17m battle for his signature, persuading him of more reliable game time and agreeing to various clauses United weren’t prepared to.
One of those agreements was the release clause that will become active next summer and make the 21-year-old available for a capped price of €75m (£64m) ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
United will be losing Edinson Cavani then when his extended contract comes to an end. But despite Ronaldo returning and signing a deal until 2023 that can be extended to 2024, the Old Trafford club will still be in need of a new striker for the long-term.
Haaland, who has scored 63 goals in 64 games for Dortmund to date, as well as 29 in 27 for Salzburg and seven in 12 for Norway, ticks every box.
Even though the transfer window has only just shut and there is a full campaign ahead, ESPN writes that Haaland is already United’s ‘priority transfer target’ for next summer.
The club’s ‘long-term objective’ is Haaland, whose relationship with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dates back to their time at Molde when the United boss gave the young striker a top flight debut.
United will likely face competition for Haaland’s signature, however. Chelsea’s £97.5m capture of Romelu Lukaku rules them out, despite earlier interest in the Norwegian, but Manchester City’s failure to land Harry Kane pus them right in the mix.
Bayern Munich could also be seeking a replacement for Robert Lewandowski next year, while Paris Saint-Germain are likely to be in the market for a striker if Kylian Mbappe joins Real Madrid.
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Source: 90min
