Haaland rules out Chelsea as Dortmund star leans towards Man City, Man Utd

Erling Haaland has ruled Chelsea out as his next destination, but a move to either Manchester United or Manchester City could still be on the cards.

Haaland is a man in demand thanks to his outstanding goalscoring form over the past couple of years. Since joining Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, he has 43 goals from 45 games.

Touted by many as a possible future Ballon d’Or winner, Haaland is expected to continue his rapid rise. That means he is unlikely to stay at Dortmund forever.

He has a release clause that will be active in 2022, allowing clubs to sign him for a price that although not a bargain, could be lower than his true value.

There is a chance that Haaland could quit Dortmund before then. There is a genuine risk that they may miss out on the Champions League for next season.

The club seem to be calm that they will not have to sell their top assets in that event. However, Haaland’s ambition may mean otherwise.

With his release clause not yet active, Dortmund will be able to command whatever price they want. Agent Mino Raiola recently claimed there were only 10 clubs in the world that would be able to afford him.

'Difficult for Erling Haaland to turn down Manchester City'

'Difficult for Erling Haaland to turn down Manchester City'

The Daily Telegraph's Matt Law believes Manchester City are favourites to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

Four of those are in the Premier League, with Chelsea possessing a serious interest in the striker. City and United are also keen, while Liverpool have been urged to join the race.

According to SportBild, though, Haaland would not want to join Chelsea. The Norwegian sees them as another stepping stone, whereas he wants to make the leap to an “absolute top club”.

Conversely, City and United would still be appealing destinations for the 20-year-old.

Advantage City

Erling Haaland Borussia Dortmund training

City are on the lookout for a long-term successor to Sergio Aguero, who is out of contract at the end of the season. It may help that Haaland’s father Alf-Inge used to play for the club.

Rivals United would seemingly be a less popular destination for Alf-Inge. But there is a connection which may help convince his son – United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer previously worked with him at Molde.

However, City retain the “advantage” in the race to sign Haaland. It is claimed that he believes they have a better chance of challenging for a variety of honours.

As for the potential costs of the deal, Bild claim Dortmund would want €110m to sanction a sale of Haaland.

READ MORE: Cole explains why Man Utd look destined to fail with Haaland transfer