Speaking to Sport Bild, Klopp did not shy away from admitting Liverpool’s interest in Bellingham but did his best to avoid giving too many details away.
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“Jude is a great player who we obviously know,” he said. “We would be stupid if we didn’t have him on the screen. But there is nothing more to say about it at the moment.”
Recently, Klopp confessed that he had no idea how much Bellingham would cost, admitting the teenager is a truly special talent.
“I don’t like to talk about money when you talk about a player like him. Everyone can see he is just exceptional,” said the Liverpool manager.
“If you mention to someone who has no clue about football, or who knows about football and has not watched it for a while, ‘How old do you think Jude Bellingham is?’, I don’t think anyone would get even close to his age. “They would say 28 or 29 because he plays so mature. He played an exceptional World Cup. Absolutely exceptional.
“With all the things he has and things he can improve, to describe him I would say the things he can do are difficult to learn, and the things he can improve are easy to learn.
“So, yes, he is a really good player. What can I say? I have thought that already for two or three years since he had his breakthrough at Dortmund. Everybody knew already but I have no idea what that means for the money side of it.
“I really think if we all want to do him a favour then we do not talk too much about money. I mean that from an England point of view. Do not throw any hurdles in his development.”
Manchester City are in discussions with Borussia Dortmund over a deal for Manuel Akanji, 90min understands.
The Switzerland international has less than a year left to run on his contract at Signal-Iduna Park and has not made an appearance so far this season.
He has been linked with moves to Leicester and Manchester United in recent times, but 90min understands talks are ongoing with Man City over a move instead.
John Stones’ poor start to the season and the need for Nathan Ake to cover at left-back following Oleksandr Zinchenko’s departure means Pep Guardiola is looking towards the transfer market to find a solution.
A deal for Akanji is expected to cost less than £15m, which makes him an attractive option to Man City.
The Premier League champions have already brought in Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Stefan Ortega Moreno and Sergio Gomez this summer, while Julian Alvarez has joined up with the squad after his January signing from River Plate.
Man City have conceded five goals in their opening four Premier League games – the worst record of the division’s current top five – and Guardiola has publicly expressed their need to be better defensively.
Akanji has made 158 appearances for Dortmund since joining from Basel in 2018. The 27-year-old has also featured at two major tournaments for Switzerland
Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste has admitted that completing a deal for Erling Haaland this summer will be ‘very, very difficult’.
Haaland’s incredible rise has continued this season despite several injury blows with the striker averaging a goal per game in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.
He is widely expected to leave BVB this summer when a €75m (£63m) release clause in his contract kicks in, although reports in Germany did recently report that interested clubs would need to trigger this option before the end of April.
Noble Reporters Media understands that there are several sides in the running to sign Haaland with Real Madrid and Man City the current frontrunners. However, Bayern Munich remain interested too with Robert Lewandowski’s future far from certain.
Another potential destination is Barcelona. The club are in the midst of a squad rebuild and would love to have Haaland on board – but there remain doubts over how they would finance a deal.
Vice president Yuste has done little to dispel this uncertainty in a recent interview either.
“I can’t say that the deal is off as you never know in football – but it’s very, very difficult,” he told Marca.
“We won’t proceed with any deal that would create problems to our financial situation.”
Although the Haaland transfer looks increasingly unlikely, Barça will definitely have a few new faces in their squad next season. Noble Reporters Media understands the Blaugrana are hoping to announce the free transfers of Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie and Noussair Mazraoui this month, while a deal for Cesar Azpilicueta is also on the cards.
The likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid have until the end of April to meet the release clause of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian’s future set to be clarified soon.
Haaland is one of the most in-demand players on the planet, and has shot to prominence with his prolific goalscoring records for RB Salzburg and more recently Dortmund, who he joined ahead of Manchester United in December 2019.
The 21-year-old has 80 goals in 80 appearances for the Bundesliga side.
While it’s been fairly certain for some time that Haaland will leave Dortmund for a bigger club this summer – with a release clause of €75m (£63m) active in his contract – German publication Bild have revealed on Wednesday that interested parties must meet the clause by April 30, when it expires.
This explains suggestions from BVB managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke last month that Haaland’s future will be decided “in a month, maybe six weeks”.
Bild report that for the clause to be triggered, the player has to submit a written application to the club to make use of it, while the buying party must guarantee the transfer fee in a statement of their own.
90min understands that there are still a number of clubs in the running, even while City and Real Madrid have been suggested as front-runners. Bayern Munich are still hopeful and uncertainty remains over Robert Lewandowski’s future, as reported earlier this month, while Barcelona are going through a rebuild and remain in the mix.
City have not denied talks over Haaland are ongoing, and Mail Online have reported on Wednesday that the Norwegian will earn £500,000 a week if he were to join the Premier League champions. This would make Haaland not only the highest earning player at City ahead of Kevin De Bruyne, but the highest earner in the Premier League, even ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo across the city.
Other suggestions that Haaland prefers a move to Spain, namely Real or Barcelona, have been played down by sources close to the player.
This does not take anything away from any of his great performances. Since he shone at Salzburg, the striker has gone from strength to strength.
The striker hit a powerful spot kick against the crossbar. Haaland missed a spot kick for the first time in his career.
The Borussia Dortmund striker got a penalty in the Bundesliga clash versus Augsburg, but he hit the ball too hard.
His teammate Delaney appeared shortly afterwards to level.
Erling took a run up and hit a powerful spot kick which cannoned against the crossbar. The ball then went well over Gikiewicz’s goal. It was surprising as he is normally very reliable from 12 yards.
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The last time he took a spot kick was on 19th September last year. That was back on matchday one against Borussia Monchengladbach. That day, he scored a brace to show why Dortmund signed him from Salzburg.
There is always a first time for everything and Haaland now knows what it is like to miss a penalty.
Erling Haaland has been given Borussia Dortmund’s No.9 jersey ahead of the 2020/21 season, replacing the No.17 he wore following his arrival at the club from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020.
Haaland follows in the footsteps of some iconic goal-scoring names at the Signal Iduna Park to have worn the No.9 shirt, including Paco Alcacer, Robert Lewandowski, Jan Koller, Stephane Chapuisat and Karl-Heinz Riedle – the latter two whom won the UEFA Champions League with the club in 1997.
Erling Haaland
The 19-year-old Haaland has made a stunning start to life in the Bundesliga, with 13 goals in his first 15 appearances during the second half of the 2019/20 season coming in at a rate of one every 82 minutes he played.
Along the way, Haaland became the first Bundesliga player ever to score six times in his first two games; seven times in his first three matches; eight in his opening five and nine in his maiden six games.
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Haaland’s number change is one of several to have been confirmed by the club following the conclusion of the 2019/20 campaign.
Thorgan Hazard has been handed the No.10, with Emre Can taking the Belgian’s former No.23 shirt. Centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou has been given the No.5 shirt, meanwhile, with full-back Spanish youngster Mateu Morey picking up his former No.2 jersey.
Dortmund have announced that all new jerseys bought by fans with the players’ previous numbers can be exchanged by the club.
Borussia Dortmund have signed Belgium international Thomas Meunier. The 28-year-old signed a 4-year-deal, joining BVB on a free transfer from PSG.
Thomas Meunier (28) continues his career at Borussia Dortmund. German top club confirms that on Twitter. Meunier makes the switch from Paris Saint-Germain, where the right-back of the Red Devils ended up since the summer of 2016.
At Dortmund, Meunier becomes a teammate of fellow Devils Axel Witsel and Thorgan Hazard. He signed a contract until June 2024.
Meunier told the German club’s official website: “Borussia Dortmund plays exactly the football that I want to play: exciting, authentic and natural.
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“BVB are known for their enthusiastic fans and the atmosphere during the game with PSG at Signal Iduna Park really influenced my decision.
“I am ambitious and, like when I was in Bruges and Paris, I would like to win titles with Dortmund.”
Dortmund director confirms World Cup winner Mario Gotze will leave the club as a free agent this summer
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Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has confirmed that Mario Götze will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Speaking ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s away clash with Wolfsburg on Saturday, Zorc told reporters:
“We will part ways with Mario Götze this summer. It was a mutual and respectful decision. Mario is a great man.”
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Götze has struggled to find regular playing time for BVB this term, having made just six starts in all competitions in the 2019/20 campaign.
The midfielder is said to be keen on a move abroad, with Italy understood to be his favorite destination.
With a hopeful world looking to Germany to see how feasible it is for professional football to return despite the coronavirus, multiple matches took place across several cities in both the first and second tiers of the German league. The pick of the matches was the much anticipated Revierderby, the match between the two biggest clubs in Germany’s Ruhr region, Borrusia Dortmund and Schalke 04.
Teen sensation Erling Braut Haaland continued from where he left off before the enforced break by scoring the first for Dortmund in convincing 4-0 win over Schalke.
The game will mostly be remembered for the surreal circumstances in which it was played, as Germany became the first major league in Europe to resume action behind closed doors.
There was an eerie atmosphere at Dortmund’s iconic Signal Iduna Park stadium, with every shout by players or coaches audible, and social distancing protocol followed by substitutes and during goal celebrations.
Haaland opened the scoring with a trademark cool finish, flicking home Thorgen Hazard’s cross to continue his sensational season, albeit after an enforced break of almost 10 weeks.
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Raphael Guerreiro added two more goals and Hazard also found the net as Dortmund went on to claim a comfortable win over their near neighbours and move within a point of leaders Bayern Munich, who play today.
Elite-level football might be back in Europe, but it certainly has a different feel about it than it did two months ago. Strict hygiene protocols saw the Dortmund and Schalke players arrive on multiple buses, use several changing rooms and then enter the pitch by different routes.
Warm-ups were staggered and the coaching staff and substitutes wore masks and were all separated by two metres as they took their place on the sidelines.
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Once the balls had been disinfected by the ball-boys, the game began in total silence, only pierced by the referee’s whistle for kick-off, before being played out to the sound of echoed applause or yelled instructions from the dug-outs.
Fans were completely absent from the 80,000-capacity stadium but that did not stop the Dortmund players performing their trademark salute to the empty stands at the final whistle – standing apart rather than holding hands of course.
The backdrop to the game made for a strange spectacle, but it did nothing to disrupt Haaland’s fine form even if it was 70 days on from his last Bundesliga appearance. With the rest of Europe watching on, Dortmund’s 19-year-old Norwegian wonderkid reminded everyone of his precocious talent as he scored one goal, and helped make another.
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Haaland’s goal means he now has a total of 37 in club competition for the season – before joining Dortmund he scored 14 goals in Austra’s top division for Red Bull Salzburg, and eight more in the Champions League.
He has now scored 10 goals in his first nine Bundesliga appearances – and 13 in 12 games in all competitions – since his January move from Red Bull Salzburg and his prolific scoring rate shows no sign of slowing up.
Another of Dortmund’s highly-rated young talents, England forward Jadon Sancho, was restricted to an 11-minute cameo off the bench, because of a calf injury.
The best coming out after COVID-19
On-loan Everton full-back Jonjoe Kenny started for Schalke, who brought on Wales winger Rabbi Matondo as one of their five substitutes – two more than usual are permitted under the new regulations for the Bundesliga’s restart.
Bundesliga Gives Insight into New Reality
The German Bundesliga restarted on Saturday and gave a glimpse into what the Premier League and other top leagues may look like if they return. South Korea’s K League kicked off last weekend, while some smaller leagues such as Belarus and Nicaragua have never stopped – but this was the first elite football in over two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
So what did football in May 2020 – played behind closed doors and with some social distancing – look like?
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Temperature checks, several buses and disinfected balls
Teams arrived in several buses so players could socially distance on the journey to the game. Players and staff had all been quarantining in team hotels all week and are being tested for coronavirus regularly. As they left the buses they wore facemasks on their way into the ground. Other people attending the games, including the media, had their temperatures checked.
Fans were banned from matches, with police patrolling to make sure no crowds gathered at the venues. Only 213 people were allowed into the ground – 98 on and around the pitch (like players, coaches and ball boys) and 115 in the stands (such as security, medics and media). Another 109 people (including security and VAR operators) were allowed just outside the stadium.
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There were 30 match balls, each of them disinfected by ball boys and left on special spots rather than handing them to players.
Socially-distanced substitutes
Substitutes and coaches wore masks and socially distanced on individual seats on the bench – or in some cases in the front rows of the empty stands behind the benches. RB Leipzig, who drew with Freiburg 1-1, brought in a set of airport stairs so players could get to and from their seats in the stands.
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Head coaches were allowed to go without a mask so they could shout instructions to their players. Substitutes took off their masks to warm up, and when players were replaced they were handed a mask before reaching the bench.
Elbow bumps instead of hugs
The actual play itself was no different to normal with tackles flying in and plenty of goals – 16 – across yesterday’s six games. But there was some social distancing on show for goals as many strikes were celebrated without the usual embraces, think elbow bumps instead of hugs.
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However, some goals – notably those by Hertha Berlin players in their 3-0 win at Hoffenheim – were just celebrated as normal. Hertha will not be punished as the German league asking players not to embrace is a guideline and not a rule.
With only a few dozen people making noise on the benches, television viewers could hear the players and managers talking, as well as the sound of the ball being kicked – and of the ball hitting the back of the net.
Teams were allowed to use five substitutes in a game – which other leagues will have the option to do when they return. So Schalke, in their 4-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund, were able to make two substitutions at half-time – and another three after the break.
4-0 to schalke as COVID-19 eases.
Applauding empty stands
After the final whistle – to deafening silence – Borussia Dortmund’s players went across to their famous South Bank – usually known as the Yellow Wall which holds 25,000 fans – to applaud and run towards the empty stand to celebrate.
Wolfsburg players kicked boots with the referee and his assistants, rather than the usual handshakes, following their 2-1 victory at Augsburg. Elsewhere, fist bumps and elbow bumps were the name of the game.
Players and managers were interviewed by television reporters with microphones on sticks, keeping to a safe distance, while post-match news conferences were done by video conferencing.
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RB Leipzig striker Yussuf Poulsen is interviewed from a safe distance
Did the fans stay away?
One of the reasons Premier League games could be played at neutral venues is to avoid fans congregating outside their own ground during a game. But that did not appear to be an issue in Germany yesterday.
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Dortmund police spokesperson Olivier Peiler said: “It’s surprisingly quiet. We had expected and calculated various scenarios, but we didn’t expect that only a few fans would come to the stadium and the city centre.
“Apparently the pleas by the city and police to stay and watch the match at home have worked out. We are very pleased by this in order to avoid infections.”
Not everyone was happy though. Augsburg fans put a banner in an empty stand saying “football gives life – your business is sick” in protest at football continuing during the pandemic.
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What did the managers think?
After a goalless draw with Paderborn, Fortuna Dusseldorf manager Uwe Rosler said: “The day was a bit odd. I am an emotional man, I like to take a player in my arms, which I obviously couldn’t do today.”
Dortmund coach Lucien Favre, said: “There is no noise. You shoot at the goal, you make a great pass, you score, and nothing happens. It’s very, very weird.”
Borussia Dortmund hit Schalke hard this time as a welcome anthem from the yellow squad.
Freiburg coach, Christian Streich, told a virtual news conference: “Obviously, it’s sad the fans cannot watch the game, that we can’t meet up and go to the game and play this game together.
“This is not something that can go on indefinitely. But under these conditions I did not expect a drop in quality because of a lack of fans and we did not see that.”
Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia defended his side celebrating their goals without social distancing. “The fact is that this is part of football,” he said. “We’ve been tested so many times that we can allow it.
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“If you can’t celebrate anymore, the whole thing breaks down. I’m just glad that the team had reason to cheer today.”
How did other people react?
Former Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who was doing BT Sport punditry from his own house, said: “I am missing the fans already. It was so strange, it is going to take some getting used to. “Football without the fans is tough to watch.”
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BBC live text reader Jonathan Chilvers said: “Atmosphere at Dortmund vs Schalke reminds me of playing Year 10 basketball in the school sports hall.”
Marty Waddell tweeted: “Nope. Sorry. As much as I love and miss football, that just wasn’t right. And i still miss it just as much (if not more).”
Borussia Dortmund expect Jadon Sancho to stay at the club this summer.
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However, a source close to the 20-year-old has told Sky Sports News a move away from Dortmund is still likely as he is unlikely to extend his current contract, which expires in 2022.
Dortmund have maintained they will only sell if the deal is right for the club and the player, who is valued in excess of £100m.
In March, Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said the club would not stand in Sancho’s way if he wanted to leave in the summer.
“You always have to respect what the player wants,” he told Bild. “We already said before the coronavirus pandemic that our preference is for Jadon to remain with us”.
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A number of Europe’s top clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested in signing Sancho.
Former club Manchester City are due to receive 15 per cent of any sale and have a first refusal clause on the England international which allows them to match any offer that is accepted.
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While there are no favourites or front runners, Sancho’s preference is to play for a club in the Champions League next season.
The player himself is said to be relaxed about the situation and is fully focused on the return of the Bundesliga next week.
‘Sancho has been irrepressible this season, racking up 14 goals and 15 assists in just 23 Bundesliga appearances. With nine games still to play, he has already surpassed his totals for the whole of the 2018/19 campaign, during which he registered 12 goals and 14 assists in 34 games.
~Jadon Sancho
‘The numbers are exceptional by anyone’s standards. In fact, Sancho’s combined total of 29 goals and assists this season puts him behind only two players in Europe’s major leagues – and one of those is Lionel Messi.
‘What makes it all the more impressive, of course, is that Sancho has done all this as a teenager.
‘With a combined total of 60 top-flight goals and assists so far, he has racked up more than twice as many as Messi at the same age. His totals also dwarf those of Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling. He has scored nearly twice as many goals as a teenaged Cristiano Ronaldo in all competitions.’ Sky Sports journalist Nick Wright said.
Neymar is linked with a return to Barcelona, but they may turn to Jadon Sancho instead.
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Barcelona are reportedly looking at Jadon Sancho as an alternative if they cannot land Neymar.
Neymar is linked with a return to Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain, where he arrived from Barcelona for a world-record €222million in 2017.
But the LaLiga giants have options.
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Borussia Dortmund star Sancho is an alternative to Neymar for Barcelona, according to Sport.
The cover of the Spanish daily says Barca are thinking of Sancho if they are unable to bring Neymar back to the club.
Sancho was enjoying an incredible season with 14 goals and 15 assists in 23 Bundesliga games when the campaign was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Erling Haaland has dubbed his Borussia Dortmund team-mate Gio Reyna ‘The American Dream’ after the 17-year-old made his mark in the Bundesliga this season.
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Haaland, the Norwegian starlet who joined the Dortmund in the January transfer window, said he is amazed by Reyna’s ability to play without fear and attack with intent.
‘He’s 17-and-a-half soon, so at such a young age to be so calm on the ball and play for such a big team, it’s very fascinating to see how calm he is, and he doesn’t care about anything, he just jumps right into it,’ he told ESPN.
‘He’s a top talent, and we’re lucky to have him here. The American Dream, I call him that.’
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Reyna, son of Claudio who played for Sunderland in the Premier League, made his first-team debut for Dortmund on January 18 and has since played a role from the bench in the last six Bundesliga games.
Reyna went on to make history, becoming the third-youngest player to appear in the Champions League knockout stages when Dortmund played against PSG on February 18.
Erling Haaland said five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been an inspirational figure.
Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland said Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is an inspiration.
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Haaland has been a revelation in 2019-20, his exploits already linking him with a move to LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
The 19-year-old striker scored 28 goals in all competitions for Salzburg this term before joining Dortmund in January, netting another 12 in just 11 appearances prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
And Haaland said five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has been an inspirational figure.
“You could just see it in Ronaldo’s face that ‘today I’m the man’ and ‘today, I will score goals’ and that’s what he did,” Haaland told ESPN, having watched Ronaldo growing up.
“That’s what I like the best, how dedicated and hungry they are to succeed and to be the man in the moment.”
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On his incredible start to life at Bundesliga outfit Dortmund, Haaland added: “It’s been a very good start and from my debut I’ve been enjoying it a lot and smiling a lot and these kind of things and that’s what’s the most important about my life, to smile a lot and these kind of things. So, yeah, that’s what I try to do the most.
“I feel I’m Improving every day and now that I play with even better team-mates than what I played with in Salzburg – all respect to Salzburg – but yeah, they can find me in even better situations and this, so yeah it’s been good. It’s been a good first months.”
Haaland was mocked by Neymar and the Paris Saint-Germain squad after Dortmund lost to the Ligue 1 holders in the Champions League last 16.
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A first-leg brace from Haaland gave Dortmund a 2-1 win over PSG before the French champions rallied to prevail 2-0 and 3-2 on aggregate in March.
Haaland celebrated his two goals in the opening leg by sitting cross-legged and pretending to meditate – a celebration Neymar mimicked at the Parc des Princes, where PSG team-mates followed post-game.
“I think they helped me a lot to get meditation out in the world and to show the whole world that meditation is an important thing so I’m thankful that they helped me with that,” Haaland said.
Ansu Fati is, without a doubt, one of the important cases to look at, at Barca. His grand eruption confirmed him as one of the talents the club will lean on in the future. They are debating about him at the club because they know new signings will restrict his playtime. They think he’s ready to play regularly and that may be elsewhere, for now. Barca have received an offer from Borussia Dortmund for the youth player.
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Relations between the clubs have improved since the argument there was over Dembele’s signing. Dortmund know that it is impossible to keep Jadon Sancho so are looking for other wingers.
Dortmund’s request did not surprise Barca, given various Liga clubs want Ansu on loan too. With Dembele recovering, Messi, Suarez and Griezmann in the squad, and Neymar and Lautaro Martinez on the wishlist, Ansu’s short-term future at Barca looks complicated. They don’t want to freeze him out and stop him progressing. He’s shown he’s ready to play at the top level.
No doors are shut to Ansu. He is young and needs time to become a key player and going to Dortmund could foster that. The club helps youngsters grow.
Barca would only consider a loan deal and know Ansu can shine for them for many years. He recently renewed his contract until 2022 with an option for two more years and a 170m euro release clause, which will turn to a 400m one in the moment he has his first professional contract with the first team.
The club want to move calmly, given the age of the player. Other options beyond Dortmund may appear. It depends on who they can bring in too. If no attacking stars arrive, Ansu may take the step up to the next level at Camp Nou.
Borussia Dortmund will reportedly allow Jadon Sancho to join Manchester United, provided the Red Devils break their transfer record in order to sign him.
The 20-year-old is the subject of major interest from the Premier League giants after another stunning season in the Bundesliga.
Sancho netted 14 goals and provided 16 assists in his 23 Bundesliga matches this season before it was shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Englishman, who is approaching the final two years of his current deal, has been offered a huge wage rise by Dortmund.
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However, Bild are reporting that the German club would let him leave, provided the price is right.
That price is believed to be in excess of £100m, significantly more than United’s transfer record of £89m for Paul Pogba.
That could be a hard figure for United to meet given the present circumstances, clubs across the world experiencing financial difficulty due to the coronavirus crisis.
Erling Haaland is capable of becoming “one of the best players in the world”, says Red Bull Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch, with the prolific Norwegian tipped to be “fun to watch in the coming years”.
The 19-year-old striker is already entertaining audiences across the planet with his prolific exploits at a young age.
He has reached the 40-goal mark in the 2019-20 campaign, with efforts for Salzburg earning him a January switch to Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland’s potential had been noted by several sides before he headed to Germany and the expectation is that he will be on the move again in the not too distant future.
Real Madrid are said to be readying an approach, with the Blancos eager to position themselves at the front of any transfer queue.
A switch to Spain would present Haaland with an even greater stage on which to showcase his talent, with Marsch expecting the youngster to reach the very top of the game.
The American told ESPN FC of a player he worked with in Austria: “First, his physical qualities, his speed, his power, he can get to top speed from like one step, his size, all of these things for me put him right away in the upper echelon of players. He’s got the potential to be one of the best players in the world.
“What makes Erling so special is his mentality.
“To start with, he was in the youth World Cup, he scored nine goals in one game. We gave every one of our players who had international obligations three weeks off before they were supposed to come with us. Erling had six days off and then said ‘no, I want to come to camp’.
“Erling came to Salzburg last winter, he played one game in spring, so he had a lot of sitting on the bench. He was so keen to start proving himself, right away I knew this kid had ambition and grind.
“In the first training sessions, you could see his competitiveness. He was often the first guy at training and the last one to leave.
“There were days when I had to tell him to go home and rest.
“He’s fearless, he’s competitive, he’s got a drive to get better, he’s equipped with so many qualities that make him very different and special, along with the ability and pure talent, he’ll be fun to watch in the coming years, that’s for sure.”
Dortmund intend to be the ones to benefit from Haaland’s obvious qualities, but their resolve will likely be tested at some stage if the teenager is able to maintain his stunning strike rate.
Borussia Dortmund are known as a club who buy and develop young talent and it appears that Ferran Torres could be the latest name on this conveyor belt.
According to Bild, the German giants have made a £34.8million bid for the in-demand Valencia winger.
It is yet to be seen though if Valencia will accept this offer, with Dortmund’s valuation way below Torres’ £87.1m release clause.
The German daily has refuted speculation that Real Madrid are poised to pay the Norwegian striker’s buy-out clause. The player isn’t thinking of leaving Dortmund.
In Germany, the general consensus is that Erling Haaland won’t be moving from Borussia Dortmund any time soon. German daily Bild has vehemently rejected speculation about a 75 million euro buy-out clause which will be triggered this summer if Real Madrid make a serious move for the player. “It’s false information ,” the paper explained in its online version today, adding that any such clause would not come into effect before the summer of 2021. Bild goes on to explain that should BVB change their minds about Haaland and decide to put him on the market, the asking price would be much higher than that believed to be in his buy-out clause.
Haaland keen to stay in Dortmund
And on top of that, according to Bild, Haaland, who is under contract until 2024 is not contemplating a move away from Dortmund during the next transfer window. Borussia Dortmund only signed the player relatively recently, paying Red Bull Salzburg 20 million euros for him back in December – so maybe he isn’t interested in another move and more upheaval.
Haaland’s close circle are also convinced that the Bundesliga is the perfect place for him to develop. “I feel at home.” Erling said. His objective is to play in the Premier League one day – as Bild note in their article, which they end with an ominous line for madridistas: “Tough times for Madrid fans”.
Real Madrid are reportedly on the hunt for both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to lead a new era of dominance at the Bernabeu.
Haaland has enjoyed an astonishing breakthrough season in Europe, first at RB Salzburg before joining Borussia Dortmund, where he has scored 12 goals in just 11 matches.
Meanwhile, French World Cup winner Mbappe has been on the radar of the Spanish giants for years now and Zinedine Zidane is a massive fan of the Paris Saint-Germain striker.
And according to Spanish publication Marca, Madrid are looking to raid both Dortmund and PSG to get the two young superstars to fire them to glory.
The arrival of Luka Jovic, who was brought in to complement Karim Benzema up top from Frankfurt last summer, hasn’t worked out.
Meanwhile with the Frenchman getting no younger, they know they need a new striker to lead the line for years to come.
And Haaland reportedly stands above everyone else for Madrid, and the Spanish giants are looking to acquiring his signature in the summer in a £66million deal – which is his release clause at Dortmund.
Furthermore, Zidane’s side are seeking to sign French forward Mbappe in the summer of 2021.
With Neymar’s future in doubt – with the Brazilian continuously linked with a return to Barcelona – PSG will not want both of their star forwards to leave in the same window.
Mbappe is reportedly not desperate to leave the Parc des Princes just yet, and for Madrid and PSG, proposing a transfer in 2021 might suit them both more.
Madrid are reportedly expected to be patient and only approach the transfer when both Mbappe and PSG are willing to discuss his future.
Meanwhile, in the summer of 2021, Mbappe will only have one year left on his contract so Madrid might be able to get their transfer target at a cheaper rate.
Neymar planned to mock Erling Haaland after Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund in advance, according to Marquinhos.
The two sides were drawn against each other in the last 16 of this season’s competition, with the first leg taking place at Westfalenstadion on February 18.
Dortmund secured a 2-1 victory in front of their own supporters thanks to a superb brace from Haaland, who celebrated scoring by adopting a meditation pose on the side of the pitch.
Neymar, who scored PSG’s only goal of the game, was motivated for revenge in the return leg in Paris, particularly after a photo emerged on social media of Haaland in Paris with the caption: “My city, not yours.”
Neymar imitated Haaland’s celebration for the cameras, and PSG went on to book their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win after Juan Bernat doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time.
The French champions celebrated wildly after the final whistle despite the absence of fans in the stadium, and Neymar led the entire squad in a mass-group photo copying Haaland’s pose once again.
The 28-year-old then took to Instagram to post an image of himself celebrating in one final dig at the Dortmund star, accompanied with his own “Paris is our city, not yours” message.
PSG midfielder Marquinhos says Neymar’s actions were pre-meditated, admitting that a fellow countryman is not one to avoid any potential confrontations.
“He likes that. Neymar is not just a football player, he is not afraid and always responds to provocations,” the 25-year-old said during an interview with YouTube channel Desimpedidos.
“After his goal, I asked him if he had taken everything out. He warned me, I told him to wait until the end of the match, but he told me to leave it and not to stop it.”
UEFA issued PSG with a formal warning for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after the match, but the club avoided a fine.
Tuchel’s side are now within sight of a maiden Champions League triumph, but it is not yet known whether it will be safe for the current season to resume amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis which has seen all major leagues and competitions shut down for the foreseeable future.
Erling Haaland knew straight away that Dortmund was the club for him. “I had a very good feeling about Dortmund from the first moment, and that’s why I’m here. I liked the whole club, the history, the people in the club and how they run it. We decided Dortmund was the best option. And it is,” the Norwegian striker told ‘FourFourTwo’.
“We’re capable of everything. The start here has been absolutely fantastic, and the club have helped me a lot – it’s not easy to come to a new place in the middle of the season. I already feel at home.”
Haaland is under contract with Dortmund until 2024 and loves seeing the famous ‘Yellow Wall’ in home matches. “I’d seen it before that, of course, but they showed me – all the fans are amazing here.”
Haaland didn’t want to speak about other clubs interest in him before, as well as now, out of respect for Dortmund. “It’s always nice when clubs are interested. It means you’ve done something right.”
Despite his young age, Haaland isn’t short of confidence. When asked if he was surprised by the number of goals he continues to score, he said: “Not really, because I’ve been doing this my whole life. It’s what I wanted to do when I was older. It’s what I do. I always knew I’d be a good player, but things have been going fast. I like that speed!”
Jadon Sancho will not be leaving Borussia Dortmund for an astronomical transfer fee in the summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Paul Merson.
The 20-year-old has been linked with a £100 million ($125m) move to Manchester United – a deal that would make him the most expensive English player of all time.
However, with the current Covid-19 outbreak halting football worldwide and putting significant financial pressure on clubs, former Arsenal midfielder Merson believes big-money transfers will disappear from the game for a while.
“All the talk about Jadon Sancho commanding a £100m-plus transfer fee has been blown out of the water if you ask me,” Merson said in his weekly column for Daily Star.
“Borussia Dortmund are said to be demanding in excess of that figure for one of Europe’s hottest young talents, but they can forget it.
“There’s no way that’s going to be happening. It’s gone – over and out.
“Top clubs can’t be putting staff on furlough and then start forking out that kind of money the minute the transfer window opens.
“It’s not just the fee, but with players in that price bracket comes a pay packet of around £300,000 a week and that’s just not going to be happening.
“The landscape has changed not just for everyone on the planet but for football as well.
“Really big-money moves may be off the table for quite some time.
“With the financial situation as it is, how would it look for clubs struggling to pay their staff and then transfer deadline day arrives and it flashes up on the screen that £900m or whatever has been splashed out on players? There would be uproar.”
Watford academy product Sancho has become one of football’s hottest properties since leaving Manchester City without a single first-team appearance to his name in 2017, adapting to life in Germany with Dortmund like a duck to water.
The winger has scored an impressive 31 goals and created 42 assists across three seasons in the Bundesliga – while also earning a regular place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Chelsea and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in signing Sancho, as have Bayern Munich and French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Manchester United’s pursuit of Jadon Sancho looks to have taken a major step after reports claim that the Borussia Dortmund winger is open to a move to Old Trafford.
Sancho is one of the hottest young talents in world football right now, having scored 14 goals and registered 16 assists for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season.
This has alerted the attention of Europe’s top clubs, with significant Premier League interest coming from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and of course United.
And The Athletic claim that Sancho’s is keen on joining Manchester United next season due to his history of living and playing in Manchester.
Sancho played for the academy teams of the Red Devils’ rivals Manchester City before joining German club Dortmund for £8million in 2017.
The move would see Sancho link up with fellow forward and England team-mate Marcus Rashford, with the pair having combined for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions team during the international break.
And Rashford is excited about the prospect of playing alongside Sancho at club level as well as on the international stage.
He told Reliable Sources Live: ‘Hopefully we can all play together, that would be good.
‘He plays off the cuff, he’s creative and imaginative, these are the things you need to be world class.’
Sancho is also a target for Liverpool and Chelsea but the Premier League duo are not prepared to pay Dortmund’s asking price for their star winger, say The Athletic.
Any deal for the 20-year-old is likely to exceed the £100million mark given the player’s exciting potential.Borussia Dortmund chiefs are mulling over whether to cash in on the Englishman or try their best to keep him at the club – but they insist he will not be sold on the cheap.
Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said last week: ‘You always have to respect what the player wants. We already said before corona that our preference is for Jadon to remain with us.
‘I can say clearly that even the very rich clubs, despite the current crisis, shouldn’t think they can get a bargain from us. We don’t have to sell anyone below their value.’
Both Dortmund and Manchester United are waiting to see how the transfer window will play out this year given the global suspension of the 2019/20 football season across the world.
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