Borussia Dortmund have become a specialist in renewing their squad season after season when the European giants arrive at Signal Iduna Park to take their stars, but Erling Braut Haaland’s is a different case. The Norwegian is called to be one of the best players in world football for the next few years and, although he has a contract with the Borussers until 2024, the German team already knows that it will be practically impossible to retain him once this season is over. The € 75M clause that Haaland will have from the summer of 2022 obliges Borussia Dortmund to look for a replacement for its flaming star. As the German newspaper points out Bild, the club sets the next winter transfer market as the deadline. While Paris Saint-Germain, the two teams from Manchester and Real Madrid are in the bid for the Norwegian, in Dortmund they already have several names on their agenda.
According to said German medium, Lautaro Martínez and Timo Werner are the most attractive candidates on Borussia Dortmund’s list. However, Argentine and German are also the most complicated options. The current Inter Milan striker comes from a busy summer transfer market. After the departures of Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku, the American champion seemed like he could also pack before the big offers from Tottenham and Atlético de Madrid, but he ended up staying to become the cornerstone of the Nerazzurri project. And is that Lautaro has gone from possible sale to astronomical renovation: will soon extend his contract with the current Serie A champion until 2025 or 2026, charging € 6M.
In the case of Chelsea’s German striker, his position at the club, discussed and criticized by fans of the London team due to the poor performance offered since his arrival in London, could facilitate the signing. The problem? That the Blues disbursed, according to Bild€ 53M for him and Thomas Tuchel is still confident that Werner can reverse the situation. In addition, Bayern Munich, where their former coach Julian Nagelsmann is, does not lose sight of the German in case Robert Lewandowski finally decides to leave the Bavarian team. To all this should be added the fact that, according to Sport Bild, “It is not the first option for Borussia Dortmund because it does not convince them at all”.
The most feasible, as well as economical, options would be those of Marcus Thuram and Andrea Belotti. “The Bundesliga solution”, as the German newspaper names the French striker, will have a clause of € 45M from July 2022 and Marco Rose, current Borussia Dortmund coach, had him under his command during 79 games at Borussia Monchengladbach – he scored 25 goals and gave 21 assists. While Thuram has a contract until 2023, Andrea Belotti’s relationship with Torino comes to an end next summer 2022. With 27 years and as a free agent, the ‘Belotti operation’ would be positive economically for the borussers. The fear of the Germans is that this will become a new ‘Immobile case’: the Italian barely scored 10 goals in 34 games and ended up leaving for Sevilla FC, prior to his return to Serie A.