Dortmund goal hero Haaland vows he is 'not thinking about leaving'
Erling Haaland has promised he is not already plotting his next move after making a breathtaking start to life in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.
After a stunning start to the season with Salzburg, the striker has 13 goals from 10 starts and four substitute appearances in the German top flight with Dortmund.
That is form that has drawn interest across Europe in a player who was already coveted by many of the top clubs on the continent.
Haaland was strongly linked with Juventus before joining Dortmund in January, and the 19-year-old stressed he was happy with his decision.
Asked whether Dortmund was anything more than a stepping stone in his career, he told the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung: "I don't think in such categories.
"I don't think too much about the future either, but I live in the present and decide in the here and now what is best for my career.
"For this reason, I chose BVB with total conviction in winter. Dortmund is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I signed a long-term contract here and, as you say, I have just arrived. So I'm not already thinking about leaving the club."
Zorc and Favre prematch presser:
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 25, 2020
Zorc: "Erling's goal-scoring could not be expected, but at best hoped for. We're glad that we were able to integrate him so quickly. He's also far from the end of his development."
Favre: "He has been fantastic!" pic.twitter.com/4Nq96zxqXH
Haaland turns 20 in July and the Norway international, who was born in England, is confident he made a shrewd choice in joining Dortmund.
"Playing a lot is the most important thing for a player of my age," he said. "I was able to appear from the start, in all competitions, right up to the knockout games in the Champions League.
"This is by no means a matter of course, and it gives me a good feeling that it happened as the people in charge told me it would in our talks."
Haaland has experienced a familiar story of Bayern Munich running away with the Bundesliga title, with Dortmund having to settle for second place.
It remains to be seen whether Dortmund's squad breaks up before next season, with plenty of attention on winger Jadon Sancho and full-back Achraf Hakimi, the latter due to return to Real Madrid after his loan spell.
Haaland was non-committal when asked whether he would try to persuade both to stay.
He said: "I like to play with the two of them, but it's not for me to say anything about their future."