Bundesliga side Borrusia Dortmund have signed Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland on a four-and-a-half year contract from RB Salzburg for an undisclosed fee.
The highly-rated 19-year-old who has scored 28 goals in 22 games for Salzburg this season has signed a contract until 30 June 2024. The Norwegian has been linked with a host of top clubs such as Manchester United, Juventus and Red Bull Leipzig.
According to reports in Germany, Dortmund met the £18 million buyout clause in his contract and also agreed to give his agent Mino Raiola and father Alf Inge Haaland a significant share of the 19-year-old player’s future sales value.
It was learned that Manchester United pulled out of Haaland’s deal when Raiola and Haaland’s father wanted controll of Haaland’s next transfer but the Red Devils chiefs failed to agree to such demands.
Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked with Haaland at Molde and met with the Norwegian earlier in the month in a bid to complete a January transfer to United after learning Haaland had met with representatives from Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig on Wednesday. He then returned to Manchester to prepare his side for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Everton at Old Trafford.
Speaking afterwards, Solskjaer said: ‘I don’t comment on speculation,’ afterwards. ‘He knows what he wants to do and he knows what he’s going to do, so I don’t have to give any advice to any other teams’ players.’
In a press release issued by Dortmund, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “Despite interest from many other top clubs in Europe, Erling Haaland has opted for the sporting challenge that BVB is able to offer as well as the opportunities we presented him with. Our persistence has paid off.”
The club’s Sporting Director Michael Zorc added: “We can all look forward to welcoming an ambitious, athletic and physically strong centre forward who has a nose for goal as well as impressive pace. We want to improve him as a player at Dortmund. At 19 years of age, he is of course still at the beginning of what will hopefully be a glittering career!”
Speaking after the signing, Haaland said: “I had the feeling that I definitely wanted to transfer to this club, take this path and play in the incredible atmosphere that Dortmund provides in front of more than 80,000 spectators. I literally cannot wait to get started.”
The club’s statement adds that Haaland will join up with the team-mates for the first time on on 3 January before heading to to Marbella for a team training camp the following day.
Håland 🧘♂️ pic.twitter.com/zqqoevH8tF
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) December 29, 2019
