Manchester United are keen to make a quick decision over a potential pursuit of Erling Haaland, with club keen to determine the viability of securing the Borussia Dortmund star.
Haaland is the most in-demand talent in world football with a queue of Europe’s leading clubs keen to secure a deal for the forward, who has scored 49 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions since arriving at the Westfalenstadion.
Dortmund currently sit fifth in the Bundesliga and face an uphill task to secure Champions League football, raising the prospect of Haaland leaving this summer in a big-money deal.
The 20-year-old’s representatives have reportedly held talks with Barcelona and Real Madrid, whilst there is understood to be Premier League interest in his services with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool all linked.
Any side seeking to sign the forward this summer will have to spend significantly to seal a deal, however, with Dortmund reportedly demanding a fee of around £128m and Haaland set to command a huge wage.
According to The Athletic, Haaland’s representatives are seeking a deal that would make him the highest-paid player at almost any side in world football, his salary demands believed to be in excess of the £375,000-a-week+ currently earned by the likes of David de Gea and Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.
Each side now faces a ‘dilemma’ on whether to break their wage structure for a youngster who has established himself as one of the game’s most exciting talents, and United are keen to make a decision quickly in order to avoid another summer-long transfer saga.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side spent last summer chasing a deal for another Borussia Dortmund starlet in Jadon Sancho, only to fail to make tangible progress on a deal for the England international.
There is now a determination to establish whether a deal for Haaland is a viable option this summer, allowing the Red Devils to quickly move onto alternative targets with Harry Kane another to have been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
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