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Real Madrid Transfers: The pros and cons of the top 5 forward targets for 2021

By Kevin Parvizi

PSG, Kylian Mbappe (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
PSG, Kylian Mbappe (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /

Dortmund FW Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland, like Kylian Mbappe, can define the next generation of football. What he’s accomplished as a goal-scorer in the Bundesliga and Champions League is simply incredible, especially for a 20-year-old.

Pros:

  • If Kylian Mbappe is the best overall player for Real Madrid to target, then Erling Haaland is not far behind him. They may even be equals. He is a highly-accomplished young goal-scorer who would be a major upgrade for Los Blancos. Haaland is more well-rounded than people think, even if the focus is understandably on his 33 goals in all competitions this season.
  • The Norwegian’s wages should be more affordable than either Kylian Mbappe’s or Cristiano Ronaldo’s. His expected transfer fee will also be lower than the PSG star’s.
  • Haaland’s preparation and character during matches make him a perfect fit for Real Madrid. He is larger-than-life, and his enthusiasm for the game rubs off on everyone around him. The man thrives under pressure and has a will to win that is similar to Ronaldo’s.

Cons:

  • Just because he will be cheaper than Mbappe’s 200 million euro price tag, doesn’t mean he will be cheap. Real Madrid may have to pay 150 million euros for him. Manchester City and Chelsea are among the giants interested.
  • Haaland is not the finished product. He scores the overwhelming majority (about 90 percent) of his goals with his left foot compared to his right and his head, per WhoScored.com. Other elite goal-scorers like Ronaldo, Mbappe, and rival Robert Lewandowski are in the 65-75 percent range. He will often pass up the chance to shoot with his right in favor of a more difficult angle onto his left, or the chance will go entirely. He models his game after Ronaldo, but this is an area he has serious ground to make up on. But he should with age.
  • There will likewise be a transition period for Haaland from the free-scoring Bundesliga and Dortmund’s electrifying attack to the more static La Liga where space is hard to come by. Hopefully, co-existing with Karim Benzema will help.
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