Erling Haaland admits frustration at Dortmund ‘pressure’ as Chelsea, Man City eye move

Erling Haaland has revealed Borussia Dortmund are putting him under increasing ‘pressure’ to finalise his future, as Chelsea and Manchester City monitor the situation.

Chelsea brought in Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan for a club-record £97.5million in the summer. However, the Belgian has had a troublesome return to Stamford Bridge.

He has been kept off the pitch for several Premier League games due to injuries and contracting Covid. Lukaku was also dropped for the 2-2 draw with Liverpool after his bombshell interview with Sky Sport Italia.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is considering selling Lukaku, according to El Nacional, with Haaland a suitable replacement.

City, meanwhile, are yet to replace Sergio Aguero following the Argentine’s switch to Barcelona and subsequent retirement. They have also let Ferran Torres move to the Nou Camp, making the need for a new centre-forward even greater.

Chelsea and City are firmly in the race to land Haaland. However, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also in the mix.

Haaland seemed frustrated in the latest admission about his future. He said (via Sky Sports): “The last six months, I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Dortmund.

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“But now the club has started to pressure me into making a decision, but all I want to do is to play football.

“But they press me to make a decision now about my future. So that means I have to make a decision soon.

“I have said from the beginning that I want to focus on football, because that is when I am at my best, not when other things come into my mind.

“Now they have put pressure for a while. So it is time to get things started. All I want to do is to play football, but I can’t do that now.”

Chelsea man could make way for Erling Haaland

One striker who could leave Chelsea to make way for Haaland is Albania international Armando Broja.

The 20-year-old has been in good form while on loan at Southampton this season, notching seven goals and one assist in 19 appearances. That includes Premier League strikes against Brighton, Crystal Palace and Brentford since early December.

And Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl appears keen to land Broja on a permanent basis. “We’d love to extend his stay here, he likes it. He wants to be with us, you can feel this in every moment,” the manager said recently.

And those comments have seen Saints plan a long-term move. According to Sky Sports, they will rival other Premier League clubs for Broja’s signature, should Chelsea listen to offers.

Clubs have already contacted the Blues over his availability and how much he would cost in the summer transfer window. The teams remain unnamed, but presumably Saints are among them.

Chelsea apparently have plans of their own for the young star. Sky Sports claim Thomas Tuchel is considering whether Broja could make it at the Champions League holders.

But if Haaland were to arrive at Stamford Bridge, then Chelsea would be in a position to sell Broja to Saints.

READ MORE: Chelsea patience pays off with Barcelona ready to sanction move; second deal blocked