Could Dortmund’s Bundesliga struggles hurt Real Madrid?

Real Madrid fans have two transfer targets on their mind more than anybody else: Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. These two generational talents are already two of the biggest stars on the planet, and either would immediately solve Real’s goal-scoring conundrum for the next decade. And they each have the personality to become the face of this glorious club.

Between the two of them, Mbappe is the priority. He can start from a wide position and score goals there. With Karim Benzema still operating at a Player of the Year level, Mbappe just fits Real Madrid better.

But Haaland is so good that Los Blancos would love to sign both. He could one day replace Benzema as the No. 9, albeit in a different role.

For the most part, Dortmund‘s struggles this season have seemed like a way to make a Haaland transfer easier. BVB are not budging from the notion that Haaland is unsellable, but the club’s position in the table seems to dictate otherwise. After losing to Eintracht Frankfurt, Dortmund are now seventh points behind Luka Jovic’s Eagles for the fourth and final Champions League place in the Bundesliga.

Erling Haaland would indeed want out of Dortmund if they fail to finish in the top four this season

So if they failed to qualify for the Champions League next season, surely Haaland would force his way out? And that would make an Mbappe and Haaland double-swoop easier for Los Blancos, right?

Wrong.

According to Marco Ruiz of AS, sources close to the newspaper state that Erling Haaland would indeed force a move out of Dortmund if the Black and Yellows were to fail to qualify for the 2021-2022 Champions League. The competition’s record-breaking scorer by age, Haaland would surely want to spread his wings elsewhere.

But that would actually complicate things for Real. Per Ruiz, Los Blancos have been holding onto the handshake agreement between Mino Raiola and BVB, stating that Haaland can leave to a bigger club in 2022 at a reasonable price. And presumably, that bigger club would be Real, which is Haaland’s dream destination and not on Raiolo’s “bad” list (unlike Manchester City).

But Erling Haaland being available would at least be a ‘Plan B’ for Real Madrid if Kylian Mbappe stays with PSG

Therefore, if Haaland forces his way out of the picture in 2021, Real Madrid will be focused on Kylian Mbappe and may lose him to another big European club. Mbappe is the priority, and Real probably don’t have the resources to sign both, as much as Florentino Perez will likely try.

Then again, there’s no guarantee Mbappe is available either. He’s still deciding. So Haaland forcing his way out would at least give Real Madrid a “Plan B” in the goal-scoring department if Mbappe decided to stay with PSG for a few more years before potentially moving to Madrid.

It’s tough seeing Dortmund play this poorly in the Bundesliga, but whether or not that’s bad for Real depends upon a few other factors. Still, how BVB plays and how that impacts Haaland’s future is an important storyline for Madridistas to follow.