BVB shooting star Erling Haaland is still not on the pitch. His eighth injury in just over two years is relatively lengthy. That doesn’t change the fact that his name is still the subject of wild speculation, even about a move to Bayern Munich. What role does a trip to outfitter Adidas play and what does it all mean?
Still not back, but in the headlines. Hardly any player from Borussia Dortmund has received more international attention in recent years than Erling Haaland. The Norwegian is under contract with BVB until 2024, but can leave the club this summer for a fixed fee. His future is considered unclear, even after he made a declaration of love to the fans of Dortmund Borussia on Valentine’s Day.
“Lots of love to each of you,” the 21-year-old announced on his Instagram account on Monday: “You are my true valentines.” Of course, Haaland, who has spent most of his time in an almost deserted Dortmund stadium, also thanked the fans for their “unconditional support”.
And they, like BVB stadium announcer Norbert Dickel, supported him almost unconditionally when they were allowed into the stadium. Each of his goals was celebrated with antiphons, and Haaland was not released into the cabin after almost every one of his games with a lap of honor.
But Erling Haaland is rarely on the pitch these days. He is often injured. However, as you can see from this report, he continues to occupy the club from the Ruhr area, the press and the fans.
Hottest stock on the transfer market
His departure has not become any less likely after the almost outburst of anger following the 5-1 win against SC Freiburg. As is well known, the Norwegian had complained about the pressure from the club management. They demand a decision from him. But he wasn’t ready for that at all. The interview on the fringes of the production was conducted by a family friend, ex-soccer player and now TV journalist Jan Age Fjörtoft. Question marks lingered and an injury soon followed, which the Norwegian has been struggling with ever since.
An injury that sows doubts. It is the third loss of the season and the eighth since arriving from Salzburg a little over two years ago. Concerns are raised: still only from loudspeakers like the former Bundesliga goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. But the recurring muscular problems could indeed become problematic in the long term. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old is still considered the hottest share on the transfer market alongside Kylian Mbappé. On Monday he was seen by the “Bild” newspaper in Herzogenaurach at the Adidas sports goods group. The German company is one of three hoping for a deal with Haaland. In addition to Adidas, Puma and Nike are also competing for Haaland.
All sporting goods manufacturers have their clubs. In addition to BVB, Manchester City also runs in Puma, Nike equips Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Chelsea. The World Cup winner from London has kept an eye on Haaland and is said to have massively increased his efforts in recent weeks, according to well-informed circles. Despite the massive financial crisis, Barcelona are still involved in the fight for the striker.
Will FC Bayern win in the end?
And Adidas? That could either be the ideal scenario for Borussia Dortmund or it could be the worst nightmare. In addition to Real Madrid, who will be equipped by Adidas until 2028 and receive at least 120 million euros a year for this, FC Bayern would suddenly also be an option. Robert Lewandowski still scores there, but whether that will still be the case after the summer seems doubtful. For different reasons. Poland’s contract expires in the summer of 2023 and has not yet been extended. In the next transfer phase, Bayern could achieve a respectable transfer fee for the last time and also save on salary. The Bundesliga striker of the century earns around 24 million euros in Munich, around ten million euros less than Haaland’s expectations.
A Haaland change would be lucrative for all three sides. For Bayern it would be a transfer with a signal effect. Because the Norwegian promises something that Lewandowski could never offer: star appeal and marketability. The 21-year-old could satisfy his hunger for the title at least for the time being and play for the first time in a team that also plays an important role in the Champions League year after year. With the power of shareholder Adidas, which holds 8.33 percent of FC Bayern Munich AG, Bayern could keep one of the big stars in the league and in the German market. And Adidas would not only have an effective advertising world star under contract for years, but also a world star who subscribed to titles.
So is one of the most spectacular changes in Bundesliga history imminent, one that continues the old conspiracy of Bayern to ruin the league? Everything is still unclear. In Dortmund one still hopes for Real Madrid. That would probably be the best possible scenario for BVB, who will play Rangers from Glasgow in the Europa League on Thursday (6:45 p.m., live on RTL+). But you don’t really seem to believe in staying. As “Sport1” reports, Dortmund have already reached an agreement with national player Karim Adeyemi. The striker is currently still under contract with Red Bull Salzburg and an agreement on a transfer fee has not yet been reached.
Stephen Uersfeld