Sebastian Kehl, the director of Borussia Dortmund, has acknowledged that he was relieved to have sold Erling Haaland, alleging that the striker had become a “strain” on the team.
Haaland joined Manchester City this summer after playing for three years in Germany. He has had an incredible start to life in England, scoring 12 goals in only seven games.
Meanwhile, Dortmund has performed admirably without the Norwegian, winning five of their six first matches of the new campaign.
Before his £51 million transfer to Manchester City, Erling Haaland turned to become a “drag” on Borussia Dortmund.
Sebastian Kehl, the sports director for the Bundesliga squad, claims that every discussion about Dortmund turned to the highly-regarded Norwegian international and what team he would be joining next.
For around £18 million, Dortmund acquired Haaland from RB Salzburg, and he quickly had a significant impact, scoring an incredible 86 goals in 88 games in all competitions for the German side.
His potential attracted the attention of teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, and Bayern Munich, and rumors about his next move circulated ceaselessly throughout last summer’s transfer window.
In an interview with the German tabloid Sport Bild, Kehl spoke about the impact the incessant chatter had on Dortmund.
“The Haaland problem ultimately caused tension in the dressing room” Kehl explained.
“Even though we always adored Haaland and he had great success with us, towards the end he started to negatively impact the locker room, the team, and the community as a whole.
“Every talk now centered on him. Outside the club, he was the subject of practically everything. In the end, the transfer’s timing suited both parties. And we’re all pleased for Erling that he’s still doing so well.”
However, Kehl acknowledged that Jude Bellingham, 19-year-old English sensational midfielder, is a genuinely lovely guy and that he would want to have him at Dortmund a little longer.
Haaland has made an immediate impact at Manchester City, scoring an astounding 12 goals in only seven games across all competitions, including two hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in back-to-back matches.
“We knew what kind of player we were about to lose, and that would also matter at Manchester City,” Kehl acknowledged.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Haaland, is likewise pleased with the start the Norwegian has made at the Etihad.
According to Pep Guardiola, Sergio Aguero is a legend, and “nobody can unseat City supporters’ position as the one who scored the most significant goal in contemporary history”, but the coach submitted that Haaland has the potential to unseat Aguero.
“Erling possesses the aptitude to be there. It’s not about Sergio or him. Sergio accomplished a remarkable feat. But Erling possesses this skill”, the Spanish tactician said.
“Everyone brought up Erling’s prior deeds when City purchased him. We wanted to assist him, that is all.
“I hope he can have fun and continue to score goals. He attempts to do what he has done in Germany, Austria, and Norway. We were aware of his abilities.”
