Real Madrid: Dreaming of a Martin Odegaard, Erling Haaland connection

Real Madrid have their eyes on Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, who could be a game-changing signing in 2022.

It’s telling that Real Madrid fans are thinking so much about the future of the squad, eyeing talents like Kylian Mbappe, Eduardo Camavinga, Erling Haaland, Houssem Aouar, Jules Kounde, and Dayot Upamecano as possible transfers in the next two windows.

Los Blancos already signed a top-notch striker from the Bundesliga in 2019, but Luka Jovic has found playing time difficult to come by in Madrid. If what Borja Mayoral said is true, Jovic may not even be in Zinedine Zidane’s long-term plans.

Jovic is an incredibly talented striker who should get more chances. But Haaland? Haaland is special. If you’ve watched Borussia Dortmund closely this year, you’ll see how undeniable his impact is to the team – not just as a goal-scorer. Look no further than his performance off the bench against the notoriously difficult TSG Hoffenheim, as Haaland had the winning assist for Marco Reus in the 1-0 win.

ABC Deportes recently had a report on Erling Haaland and how much Real Madrid want to sign the striker in the coming years. Within the report, Martin Odegaard was discussed. Haaland’s teammate with Norway, Odegaard set up the striker twice with assists against Romania over the break. Their partnership and friendship could benefit Real and give them another edge over clubs like Juventus, PSG, and Manchester United.

Real Madrid transfer target Erling Haaland is as good as advertised

Just imagine Odegaard and Haaland working together at the Santiago Bernabeu. Odegaard sliding those inch-perfect, line-breaking through balls to the pacy and instinctive Haaland, who can finish off just about any chance with precision and power.

Their chemistry is already evident at Norway, and there would be so much carryover between their experiences together for club and country, if Haaland were to join Real Madrid. That kind of connection between an attacking midfielder and a striker is priceless, and it means that Real and Haaland, reciprocally, are more valuable to each other than anyone else.

Haaland is as good as advertised. His goal-scoring record with Dortmund since joining in the winter is astounding, as he’s scored 17 goals in under 1,500 minutes. That’s remarkable for any striker, but especially for a 20-year-old making his first step up in competition after playing for RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Remember how unstoppable Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo were together at the Santiago Bernabeu? I don’t mean to put such lofty expectations on Haaland and Odegaard, comparing them to literally the two best to do it at their respective positions in their era, but we could see something similar from them. Hence why Haaland needs to be a primary target in 2022, when Real Madrid could reasonably sign him.