Borussia Dortmund and Norway striker Erling Haaland is the recipient of the 2020 Golden Boy award.
The Norwegian striker is one of the most promising young player in the world. Italian media, Tuttosport usually hand the the trophy out to the winner after an intensive voting process. The judgment is made by a panel of global experts, who select among the player under the age of 21 who is most likely to break out and become a star.
The recent winners of the Golden Boy award include Kylian Mbappé in 2017, Matthijs de Ligt in 2018, and Joao Felix in 2019.
The 20-year-old Norwegian secured a €20m transfer from RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund in January. After settling down quickly into the team, his scoring rate has been astonishing. This includes six goals in just seven senior caps for Norway.
Haaland, who is the son of former Leeds United forward Alf-Inge Haaland has 11 goals in 11 competitive games for Borussia Dortmund so far this season – it includes four goals in three Champions League matches.
How Erling Haaland won the Golden Boy award
Haaland emerged as the leading contender by making Saturday’s front page of Tuttosport. He beat Dortmund team-mate, Jadon Sancho, Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, and Barcelona sensation Ansu Fati to the award.
Haaland wins the Golden Boy 2020 organized by @tuttosport. Kulusevski in 6th position. The Norwegian will receive the award in Turin on the 14th of December. pic.twitter.com/DmWudmhMbp
— Around Turin (@AroundTurin) November 21, 2020
Haaland had a fantastic year, scoring 44 goals across all competitions in 2019-20, with 16 of those coming in 18 appearances after a mid-season move from Austrian champions Salzburg to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.
Even last season’s European highest scorer and Bayern star Robert Lewandowski (81.2) had a less minutes-per-goal record than Haaland (81.7). Haaland has six goals in as many Bundesliga appearances as the last season’s runners-up Dortmund this term.
Already in this season’s Champions League, the 20-year-old has found the back of the net four times in three games, taking his tally to 11 goals from 11 matches across all competitions.
Start young and always remember to keep fighting for your dreams! I hope the world gives you unity and inclusivity. 💪🏻 #UniversalChildrensDay pic.twitter.com/YQNjT3fat7
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) November 20, 2020
It is therefore not surprising to see the young striker being linked to big clubs despite spending just a few months at his new club. There have been interests expressed by La Liga champions Real Madrid and Premier League giants United.
Speaking with SPORT1 during the week, his father Alf-Inge Haaland said all are just speculations which is normal.
“When you play well, it’s only logical that big clubs knock on your door, but we’re talking about speculation here.
“At the moment it’s not in Erling’s or my head that another club will be vying for him. We signed a long contract with Dortmund and they have a fantastic team for Erling right now. We don’t want to look any further ahead.”
One won’t be surprised if Haaland eventually moves to a new club with his scoring rate.
“You never know what will happen. We haven’t talked about such a step yet. I think he would like to win some trophies with Dortmund. That is his goal. Erling can still achieve a lot in Germany and make great progress. Moving abroad is not a priority for us.
“I sometimes think he wants to and can assert himself in any league. At the moment, he is happy in the Bundesliga and focused on Dortmund. He just wants to be a better player and doesn’t look too far ahead,” his father added.
