Why Haaland has to be in your portfolio
Erling Braut Haaland is the hottest prospect in world football at this moment and it’s not without good reason. If you’re serious about establishing a long term portfolio on Football Index then this man is a must – this is why.
A little bit about the boy
Haaland, 19, is the son of former Leeds United midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland and despite being born in the English city he actually came through the footballing system in Norway, where he spent his formative years. He has represented their national side as well as Norwegian club teams Bryne and Molde, where he worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Goals galore
Haaland stands at 6’4, is mobile, strong and, of course, finds the net on a regular basis which combined together makes him a potential world beater. With Molde, Haaland notched 20 times in 50 appearances but he really propelled himself onto the radar of the elite during his 12 months with RB Salzburg where he scored goals with consummate ease. He actually only made 27 appearances during his stay in Austria but made the net bulge 29 times including five hat-tricks. He also went to the U20 World Cup during that period and he won the golden boot solely on his display in one game – a 12-0 win over Honduras where Haaland scored nine.
In January this year, Haaland was widely expected to join his former manager at Old Trafford. Instead he opted for a move to German side Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £20m. His debut saw him net a 23 minute hat-trick before following it up with a brace in his next appearance. At this moment, Haaland has 12 goals in 11 games – or more impressively 736 minutes – with, on average, a goal every hour.
A target for the elite
Dortmund might have only secured Haaland’s signature a couple of months ago but the rate with which his goal tally is growing has the biggest teams in the world on red alert. A release clause of circa £50m will make his acquisition an absolute steal in today’s market too.
Manchester United remain interested in his signature with fellow English club Tottenham also monitoring with Haaland a possible replacement if their talisman Harry Kane moves on. Given neither look like challenging at the top for at least a year or so the reality of that developing into more than paper talk seems unlikely. Are one of the Spanish giants perhaps the more feasible destinations? Barcelona want a new attacker with Martin Braithwaite’s move to the Nou Camp earlier this season very much a short term fix. Real Madrid are perhaps favourites in the race for Haaland though with their main goal scorer, Karim Benzema, not getting any younger.
Closing summary
Haaland is a teenager who has it all; a rapid turn of pace, the ability to hold the ball up and link play and is deadly in front of goal. Injuries allowing, he will score hundreds of goals over the next 10 to 15 years. We suspect a move to a footballing powerhouse isn’t too far away. If a move to the likes of Real Madrid does materialise then Haaland’s price of £6.01 will go through the roof and he’ll have media and game day dividends galore to boot as well. All things considered, he has a real chance of setting a new price peak on Football Index.