Real Madrid Transfers: Erling Haaland has to see past the PSG façade

Real Madrid are well on their way to a much-needed revamp of their squad and even though they’re unable to change everything at once due to contracts and financial troubles caused by the pandemic, there is a clear path that the team is moving forward with and with each passing season, changes are slowly but surely being made. At the moment, all talk is about whether or not Kylian Mbappe will join Real Madrid next summer but in the background, moves are being made with Erling Haaland as well. In a way, these two are tied together.

We witnessed Paris Saint-Germain at their very best last summer with one of the biggest transfer windows in history which saw them add Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, and Lionel Messi to their squad. We also saw them when things got hard as Kylian Mbappe asked to leave the club and no matter what Real Madrid put in front of them as an offer, PSG not only refused to negotiate but they refused to even respond. Publicly, they were always happy to talk and make it seem like Real Madrid broke certain rules and showed a sign of disrespect yet privately, the disrespect came from them towards Real Madrid and towards Mbappe.

This situation made one thing clear: If you are a PSG player who is wanted by the club and can generate interest and money to the institution, you’re not going anywhere regardless of what may or may not have been agreed on in the past or what you personally want for your career. We saw it with Marco Verratti previously and we saw it once again with Mbappe. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, it matters what you do when things get tough and whether or not you show respect to the players at your disposal. Erling Haaland will be aware of that as PSG will definitely be one of the teams ready to bid for the Norwegian next summer.

During his fairly short career so far, Haaland has already shown that he truly gives a lot of thought to his future. Moving to Borussia Dortmund was the best move that he could have done at the time as he joins a big European club that requires a lot from their players while he also guaranteed being a starter and improving his game. As good as he was prior to his move, he wasn’t ready to take a leap forward and join clubs such as Real Madrid with the extreme demands they have. However, he’s expected to make a big jump this summer and even though it’s still unclear what his decision will be, it shouldn’t be Paris Saint-Germain. The French club can offer more money than almost any other club but that’s it. Haaland deserves prestige and the ability to showcase what he can do on a grand stage. With all due respect, Ligue 1 isn’t a grand stage.

Erling Haaland could make history at Real Madrid

After falling from being one of the top five leagues in Europe earlier this year and now barely hanging onto the fifth spot, Ligue 1 simply isn’t attractive for players such as Haaland. Money has its pull but wherever he chooses to go, he will be paid handsomely, and to be paid less for playing in a top European league as opposed to Ligue 1 is worth it. This is aside from the ‘jail’ comments on Twitter which refers to the club not allowing players to leave under any circumstance which is what we witnessed with Mbappe last summer. Would Haaland want that? Obviously, he would want to spend a considerable amount of time at his next club but to know that he won’t be able to leave even if he formally requests a transfer has to weigh in on his final decision.

Erling Haaland has the opportunity to join a new project, a work in progress. He has the chance to lead whatever team he picks to victory and move them forward while also fine-tuning his play in the process. We have seen what he can do in the Bundesliga and we have seen him make his mark against some of the biggest teams in the UEFA Champions League. His mentality is unmatched by any other young player at the moment and if Real Madrid can add that to their squad next season, Haaland has the ability to make history.

At the moment, the name on everyone’s mind is Kylian Mbappe within the Real Madrid circle and that has been the case for a few years now but has increased significantly recently after all the drama last summer and his contract ending in less than a year. At the moment, Los Blancos have the ability to add Mbappe and Haaland to their team next season for a total transfer fee of approximately 75 million Euros. We know Real Madrid have the money to make it happen but it all depends on what the players choose. However, the question that comes to mind now is: Can Haaland lead the Real Madrid project even with Mbappe there? The answer: They will lead together and in very different ways.

Mbappe’s arrival to Real Madrid doesn’t interfere with Haaland’s arrival at all. They can coexist in the same team, and together they will aim to bring glory back to the Santiago Bernabeu. There is absolutely no reason for the Norwegian to feel like he won’t be appreciated at the club because even with the fans constantly asking for Mbappe, they also ask for Haaland.

He will be welcomed and loved from the moment he signs for Los Blancos and he will come in knowing that he can learn from the legendary Karim Benzema. We have seen that ‘traditional’ strikers don’t work too well at Real Madrid and the only young player who can take the mantle from Benzema at the moment is Haaland. He tracks back, he knows how to move the ball effectively, he has the speed to hit the opponents on the counter-attack and his finishing is absolutely brilliant. Add to that the mentorship by someone who has won it all at the club and the beast you see today will transform into a complete and deadly striker at Real Madrid in a very short time.

Haaland’s next destination may not end up being Real Madrid but it won’t be Paris Saint-Germain. When you are wanted by every single big club in the world, you make your decision based on what’s best for your future and your reputation: Neither one of them will be enhanced in France.