Real Madrid have identified Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland as their two dream transfer targets for the 2021 summer window. The former will be much more difficult to procure than the latter, but Mbappe remains the No. 1 option. Realistically, though, Madridistas should expect this summer to be the saga of Haaland, one year before the club was expected to push down on the gas pedal for the Norwegian striker.
According to a report from Defensa Central’s Alvaro Jimenez (article in Spanish), Real Madrid is interested in completing a swap deal with Borussia Dortmund for Erling Haaland, sending them one of their two backup strikers for the young goal-scorer.
Per the report, Los Blancos would offer 40 million euros and either Luka Jovic or Mariano Diaz for Haaland to Dortmund. It seems like this would be a way for Real to save money instead of splashing a full nine figures on one player, and it would also enable them to move a striker that would be expendable after a Haaland transfer.
The reality is that both Jovic and Mariano would be expendable in the case of a Haaland transfer. Mariano is already on the way out of the club; Real just need to find a suitor and convince the player to leave. Jovic is a great talent in his own right, but it seems as if Los Blancos prefer Haaland to him. They both cannot co-exist on the same team.
One of these swap deals for Erling Haaland makes no sense, but the other could help Real Madrid and Dortmund
A swap deal of Mariano plus cash for Haaland is obviously unfair. Dortmund would not even entertain such an offer. Mariano isn’t even good enough to start for them, nor does his value come close to making up the difference between Haaland and 40 million euros in straight cash.
Jovic plus 40 million for Haaland could give Dortmund pause. The Serbian international would be an excellent fit for Dortmund, and Real purchased him for 60 million euros so the valuation actually matches up. The extra cash would help Dortmund, and they already have an up-and-coming striker in Youssoufa Moukoko. Technically, they have two, because Steffen Tigges is also very talented.
So Dortmund could see this as an opportunity to make some money during the crisis while still adding a world-class, proven Bundesliga forward who has resale value in his own right. When Moukoko and Tigges are fully ready, they can then flip Jovic.
And Real Madrid? Well, they would be getting the Galactico they want without having to spend too much money while strengthening their relationship with Dortmund via the out-of-favor Jovic going back the other way.