Dortmund chief admits Arsenal history could repeat itself with Erling Haaland transfer

ERLING HAALAND is widely expected to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer.

Posted Thursday, March 31, 2022 by Express.co.uk

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has admitted that history could repeat itself in their attempt to keep Erling Haaland at the club this summer. Watzke has recalled the struggle to overcome Arsenal and Bayern Munich's financial power amid Haaland's links to Manchester City.

The 21-year-old is widely expected to leave Dortmund at the end of the season due to the £64million release clause included in his contract when joining from RB Salzburg in 2019. And his continued extra-terrestrial exploits in front of goal have made the touted heavyweight interest in his services no surprise.

In March, reports broke that Man City had a deal in place to beat the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid to his signature. And Watzke has accepted that if the Premier League champions' pursuit transitions to a transfer bid, Dortmund won't be able to financially compete with the terms offered.

He told Bild, via Fabrizio Romano,: "Erling Haaland? We still know nothing from player's side. But we know that we won't be able to keep up financially if Manchester City come. It already happened with [Robert] Lewandowski to Bayern [Munich] and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang to Arsenal."

Erling Haaland could land in the Premier League this summer.

Dortmund have a history of losing their star strikers to big-money deals elsewhere. After scoring 93 goals for the club across three seasons, Robert Lewandowski joined Bayern on a free transfer in 2014 and has gone on to enjoy a stellar career with the Bavarians.

In January 2018, Arsenal signed Aubameyang for a then-club record fee worth £60m. And Haaland looks set to be the next world-class goalscorer to be snatched from Dortmund's grasp after flourishing under the bright lights of the Westfalenstadion.

Since arriving in Germany, Haaland has scored 80 goals and provided 18 assists in 82 appearances in all competitions, extending his Champions League record to 23 goals in 19 games. Man City replacing Premier League legend Sergio Aguero with a play of his potential longevity and quality is a haunting prospect for their rivals.

And it would be the cherry on top of a summer that could realistically see Pep Guardiola guide his side to the first treble by an English club since Manchester United's success in 1999. Even if this season isn't the one Man City finally lift European silverware, Haaland's arrival would make it all the more inevitable in the future.