3 things Real Madrid must do to convince Erling Haaland in 2024

1. Give Haaland a definite role as the main striker of Real Madrid

There is no use in thinking that a player of this calibre will accept a subordinate role when he is already a star performer in his current club. The first box Haaland would want to check before making a move elsewhere is how certain his starting place is, and this presents Real Madrid with their largest quandary.

Despite a momentary drop in form, Karim Benzema is at the top of his game for Los Blancos. Bringing in Haaland implies giving him a starting place in every game, which jeopardizes the situation with Benzema.

After the season Benzema has had, there is just no justification—no matter how forced—for benching him, but Haaland would never choose a team where his position is in doubt.

Alfie Haaland, the player’s father, explained why they selected Manchester City over Real Madrid because the English club was desperate for a striker following Sergio Aguero’s departure, but Benzema was still at the pinnacle of his game in Madrid, which would have made it more difficult for Haaland to break through the ranks.

Haaland needs a striker role and so does Benzema. Would it be possible to combine the two at once? Perhaps yes.

Carlo Ancelotti has been quite flexible with Real Madrid’s formations recently, as he used a more robust 4-2-3-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk instead of the conventional 4-3-3. Tactics akin to a 3-5-2 with a stronger tilt towards the attack and two lethal attackers upfront might be deployed, but this comes with the uncertainty of putting the defence at more risk with only three men.

Many consider Rodrygo as a future striker for Real Madrid once Benzema retires, and bringing in Haaland would add to the Brazilian’s burden. Several configurations and arrangements will have to be tested to accommodate Haaland, and this might be one of the main reasons the player does not join Madrid.