Real Madrid will pinpoint two superstars as their main transfer targets this summer, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Either player would transform their attack for the 2021-2022 season and well beyond, as they are generational talents who are already capable of scoring 30 goals in a single season. And Los Blancos have not produced a 30-goal scorer since Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Turin.
Mbappe seems like the preferred target for Los Blancos, but Haaland is more than a consolation prize. The 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker is a Galactico in his own right, and he already has 25 goals in all competitions for the otherwise slumping Black and Yellows.
Haaland is going to be cheaper than Mbappe, who could approach 200 million euros with an additional 30 million euros per year in salary. However, Haaland isn’t going to be much cheaper. Right now, it looks like Real Madrid would have to pay at least 100 million euros for the striker, but that number could rise.
That’s because many other big clubs will be interested in the No. 9. Some are pretenders, like Manchester United and Juventus. But others have even deeper pockets than Real Madrid and are on par with PSG in terms of spending power. I am thinking of Manchester City and Chelsea.
Should Real Madrid spend 150 million euros on Erling Haaland?
Real Madrid may be willing to spend 150 million euros or more on Mbappe in total assets – since they may have to work a trade for the PSG forward – but how high should they be willing to go for Haaland?
Well, Haaland isn’t as established as Mbappe, and he’s not as refined on the ball. Mbappe becomes even more valuable when you factor in that he’s a wide forward, which Real Madrid need even more. Karim Benzema is still going strong at 33. But that positional value in Mbappe’s favor is not as great as once thought, since Haaland Benzema can co-exist and Real have Eden Hazard, Rodrygo Goes, and Vinicius Junior on the left.
Haaland has a couple of things that work in his favor. Firstly, he is two years younger than Mbappe. Secondly, he may be a more accomplished finisher and goal-scorer than Mbappe, based on his goal output since the start of the 2019-2020 season.
It wouldn’t be unreasonable for Los Blancos to go as high as 120 million euros for Haaland. Mbappe will cost more than Haaland for good reason, but Haaland’s value should not be underestimated.
Dortmund know that teams are desperate for him and understand the player’s value. City, Chelsea, and Real would all love to have him, and money isn’t an object for two of those clubs. BVB also understand that if Real don’t sign a top-scoring forward, they could be in serious trouble; Dortmund will use that to their advantage, especially when it comes to pressuring Florentino Perez. Though the good relationship between both parties could eventually give Los Blancos the slight leg-up they need to secure the deal.
Everything has its limit, especially in a pandemic. And Los Blancos have their own assets that could interest Dortmund, such as striker Luka Jovic. Something approaching 150 million euros in total value is a stretch, but it is reasonable for Real to push over 100 million euros to 120-125 million if they have to. Because if Mbappe is off the table and it comes down to a bidding war for Haaland against the richest Premier League clubs, Los Merengues may have to take a risk to get their man.