Transfer windows are some of the most interesting periods in football during a calendar year. There are vocal portions of fans who prefer the excitement of a potential deal as much as the game itself. Following these rumors can be exhilarating and for some, it’s even turned into a profession. Each summer is seemingly categorized by one major transfer or an involved club. 2018 was the summer of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. 2019 saw the Spanish clubs make a splash with Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard and Frenkie de Jong joining La Liga giants. 2020 was the summer dominated by Chelsea and its new core of young stars.
Erling Haaland’s transfer saga has consumed headlines in 2021. The Dortmund wunderkind set the world on fire as the Champions League’s top scorer for the 2020/21 season. He has been heavily linked with a number of squads and thankfully, Chelsea is in the running. That being said, the German giants are demanding an insane amount of money for their prized possession. A bid in the region of £150 million would get Dortmund to the table, but even then, there isn’t a desire to sell right now. Therefore, Haaland joining the Blues seems unlikely at this moment in time.
Dortmund striker Erling Haaland likely won’t join Chelsea this summer
Last summer was evidence that Roman Abramovich does not mind opening his checkbook when it comes to purchasing world class players. It paid dividends as Chelsea won the Champions League thanks to a goal from newly acquired star, Kai Havertz. There have been hints that the Russian owner is willing to make another market splash, this time for the Norwegian superstar, but the problem isn’t on the buyers’ end.
The issues stem from the Dortmund hierarchy. Manchester United’s pursuit of former Die Schwarzgelben star Jadon Sancho showed the world just how stubborn the Germans can be. Hans-Joachim Watzke (CEO) and Michael Zorc (Sporting Director) stay true to their word, as evidenced by Dortmund refusing to sell Sancho for an entire season. This is bad news to any Blues fan as the two aforementioned football executives have maintained they will not sell Haaland this summer.
Haaland to Chelsea becomes even more unlikely when one considers the fact Dortmund has already sold one star in Sancho in recent weeks. Tushar Bahl—Site Expert at BVB Buzz—had this to say on the matter:
"“With Sancho set to join Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund will not want to sell their other big star player this summer. I know BVB were prepared for the Sancho sale to happen this summer, but they have always maintained the same line with regards to Haaland. Losing Haaland and Sancho in the same window probably means no title challenge this season, so I think they will be determined to keep Haaland at the club.”"
Marco Rose, fresh off a successful season as Borussia Monchengladbach boss, now joins Dortmund as BVB manager. There is a lot of excitement around the club after a late push into a Champions League position for next year. Losing Haaland and Sancho during the same window would effectively kill all momentum the club has right now.
Of course, there are also reasons for Dortmund to consider a sale. Haaland’s value is at its highest right now. The striker has a release clause (somewhere from £64 to 72 million) that activates in one year, Dortmund could potentially miss out on a monster sum of money in order to keep him around for 12 more months. Bahl noted that while the asking price this summer is large, replacing one of the world’s most prolific No. 9s is difficult:
"“No matter what the fee you get, replacing a 40+ goal a season striker like Haaland will be almost impossible. I feel like with Haaland in the team, there is a chance to win the Bundesliga. But if Haaland leaves, no matter who the replacement, we could be in for another transitional season. The desire to compete will probably trump the potential financial gain.”"
There is always the possibility that amount is made up in the coming season through merchandise, ticket sales, television deals and performance bonuses, but the likelihood of that information being made public any time soon is slim to none. Fans simply have to trust their clubs at the end of the day and the Dortmund executives seem to have things figured out.
Meanwhile, the Blues will likely take this one down to the wire on August 31. There is little-to-no competition for the Norwegian at the moment due to the impact of COVID-19 on some sides and poor financial decisions made by others. Chelsea’s adept planning has put it in a position to continue to shell out large sums on world class players, Haaland being at the top of its list right now. Next summer though, the Blues will face competition when triggering his release clause, so it’d be up to Haaland to choose his next destination. There is far less certainty in regards to where he ends up if the decision rested with him, his father and his agent.
As for a move during the current window, Bahl does not believe it will happen:
"“I just don’t think a move for Haaland will happen this summer. Dortmund have said too many times that Haaland will stay no matter what the cost. While they’d think twice if they receive an offer, I don’t think they will sell him this summer.”"
Chelsea will continue to explore all available avenues this summer—including a move for Harry Kane or Romelu Lukaku—if Haaland is truly staying put. Olivier Giroud’s departure and Tammy Abraham’s potential exit mean the Blues are going to be desperate for a true No. 9. This was identified as a need for them before last season even ended, that area is becoming increasingly more of a dire necessity as time ticks on. Unfortunately nobody truly knows what the future holds for the Chelsea to Haaland saga. If one thing is certain though, it’s that we definitely haven’t heard the last of these rumors.
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