Erling Haaland has claimed that Borussia Dortmund are pushing for him to “make a decision” on his future, despite all that he wants to do is to “play football.”
The 21-year-old prolific Norwegian striker is one of Europe’s most sought-after talents and has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Haaland is under contract with Dortmund until 2024, but he could make his exit from the club this summer as his £68m release clause becomes active in 2022.
The Dortmund star’s super-agent, Mino Raiola, has hinted that his client’s next destination is likely to be Spain and Barcelona are tipped to land Haaland.
Haaland has been in fine goalscoring form this season and scored a brace in Dortmund’s 5-1 thumping of SC Freiburg at the Westfalenstadion on Friday.
Speaking after the match, the Norway international admitted that he is under pressure from Dortmund to sign a new deal amid intense transfer interest from Europe’s biggest clubs.
“The last six months I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Dortmund, but now the club has started to press me into making a decision,” Haaland told Jan Aage Fjortoft for Viaplay.
“All I want to do is play football. But they press me […] about my future, so that means I have to make a decision soon.”
Haaland scored an impressive 21 times in 18 appearances across all competitions this season.
The United and Barcelona target has claimed that he will delay the decision over his future due to them being “in the middle of a difficult period, with a lot of” matches.
Haaland has insisted that he wants to “focus on football” and said that is where he is at his “best,” but he “can’t do that now” amid the issue surrounding his club future.
When asked if he could decide imminently over his future, Haaland added: “That is what they [Dortmund] want. It means things will happen now.
“They have started to put a lot of pressure on me, and I have to accept that […] so now is the time to get things started.”
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has played down the situation involving Haaland and described him as a “spontaneous person.”
Speaking to Ruhr Nachrichten, he said: “There’s no problem with Erling. He is a spontaneous person. He’s allowed to do that.
“But he must also have some understanding for our situation -- we can’t wait until the end of May.”
Featured Image Credit: PA/ViaplayTopics: Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund, Germany, Bundesliga, Football
Adnan Riaz