Real Madrid Transfers: Erling Haaland off the table for good?

Real Madrid fans want their club to sign an accomplished goal-scorer this summer, as most of the team’s worst performances this past season were down to a lack of individual quality in the attacking third. Aside from Karim Benzema, Real got nothing from their forwards in terms of scoring, and the majority of the wingers failed to make a real impact in other ways.

Erling Haaland is no winger, but he could still help Los Blancos immensely from a goal-scoring perspective. Signing him would require a shift in formation and philosophy, which could actually happen now that Zinedine Zidane, who did not make the same accommodations for Luka Jovic, has sadly left the club.

However, any Madridista dreaming of Haaland may need to give up on him this summer completely. If there were any hopes remaining despite Borussia Dortmund’s strong statements against a move, Haaland’s own comments should be enough to end the transfer idea until the 2022 summer window, when a move is far more likely. (Remember, that’s when Haaland’s affordable release clause kicks in.)

In an interview with ESPN’s Jan Aage Fjortoft, via Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Erling Haaland had this to say about his near future:

"“Borussia Dortmund say I’m 100% staying this summer? I’ve a contract with BVB so I’ll be respectful… Champions League spot secured was so important to me, I want to play UCL football. And I’ve big dreams”."

Erling Haaland seems to be enjoying his football in Dortmund

Dortmund qualified for the UEFA Champions League next season despite their top-four place being in doubt, as Jadon Sancho and Haaland turned up the individual quality with Mahmoud Dahoud making a vital breakout contribution from midfield.

Haaland had a tremendous season for Dortmund, and you can tell he loves playing with all the great young players in the side, especially Sancho. He has a great rapport with the England international, as well as American attacking midfielder Gio Reyna. And playing with a Bundesliga legend like Marco Reus doesn’t hurt either!

So Haaland seems happy and secure in Dortmund, while the Black and Yellows know they still need Haaland. From their perspective, selling Haaland would be good business in comparison to what they’d get from the release clause, but it seems like they’d rather go hard next season. They may be significantly better, considering how quickly young talents like Jude Bellingham and Reyna are developing.

For now, it seems like Real Madrid fans need to forget about Haaland. And it seems like the club is 100 percent focused on Kylian Mbappe. If there is a Dortmund player who could make a sneaky move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, then it just might be Sancho.