"A lot of pressure is coming from the club" - Erling Haaland reveals Borussia Dortmund are 'pressing' him 'to make a decision soon' about his future
Erling Haaland has revealed that he is under pressure from Borussia Dortmund to make a decision on his future.
Haaland is considered one of the brightest young talents in world football at the moment. Dortmund are understandably keen to keep the Norwegian and tie him down to a new contract. However, the striker has generated plenty of interest from numerous big clubs and has been touted by many to leave Signal Iduna Park this summer.
Speaking after scoring twice for Dortmund in a 5-1 thrashing of Freiburg last night (14 January), Haaland told Viasat (as quoted by the Daily Mail):
"[For] The last six months I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Borussia Dortmund, but now the club has started pressing me into making a decision."
Erling Haaland on his future: "The last six months I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Borussia Dortmund, but now the club has started to pressure me into making a decision. So that means that I have to make a decision soon." [Viaplay] #BVB
The 21-year-old added:
"All I want to do is to play football, but they [Dortmund] press me to make a decision now about my future [...] So that means I have to make a decision soon."
He also indicated that he will promptly start thinking about his immediate future during the interview, stating:
"They have started to put a lot of pressure on me and I have to accept that. I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for the club and the fans. But now that a lot of pressure is coming from the club, so it is the time to get things started. It means things will happen now."
The striker's words will put several clubs on high alert. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City are among a handful of teams rumored to be interested in signing the prodigy in the summer.
Erling Haaland has been prolific for Borussia Dortmund
Haaland joined Borussia Dortmund in the 2020 winter transfer window after a successful spell with RB Salzburg. He got off to a bright start, netting 16 times in 21 matches across all competitions in the second half of the 2019-20 season.
The Norwegian then took things up a notch in the 2020-21 campaign, scoring 41 goals and laying out 14 assists in 41 matches for the Black and Yellow.
Friday night football! 🕺@bvb https://t.co/DOHbRlXH0M
Haaland began the 2021-22 season in similar fashion and has accumulated 21 goals and 10 assists in just 19 matches. He had to miss part of the season due to a hip flexor injury but is fit and firing once again for Marco Rose's side.
Overall, the striker has been involved in 99 goals in 77 matches since joining Borussia Dortmund. His tally includes 78 goals and 21 assists. He has also found the back of the net 12 times in 15 games for Norway.