It's no secret that Erling Haaland is one of, if not the, most sought-after players in world football, with UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea looking to spend an arm and a leg on the highly-rated Norwegian sensation. However, the Blues have been handed a bit of a concern as another European giant has thrown their hat into the ring.
That team is none other than Juventus, with the Italian heavyweights identifying the 20-year-old goalscoring machine as the ideal replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. This is according to a La Repubblica report which claims the Serie A side are targeting a move for the former RB Salzburg talent in the summer of 2022.
While Dortmund have publicly reiterated that Haaland is not for sale this summer, there is a belief that the right offer could change BVB's stance. Unfortunately, that number is a whopping $234M, a figure even Chelsea are struggling to meet.
Roman Abramovich has allegedly freed up $207M (£150) to spend on the Signal Iduna Park superstar, with the Premier League giants willing to include Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, or even Hakim Ziyech to get a deal over the line. Unfortunately, Erling's Bundesliga employers have turned down that offer.
This is where the optimism in Turin looks to be coming from. Next summer will see Haaland's price drop as he has a release clause worth $89.5M that will come into effect in 12 months' time. This means should Chelsea fail to land the Norwegian this summer, several clubs will be able to benefit from that discounted price, including Juventus.
Furthermore, the Old Lady reportedly have an excellent relationship with Haaland's agent Mino Raiola and could thus make an arrangement. The player does not look to be pushing for an exit this summer, admitting that he is already focused on working under new Dortmund manager Marco Rose. It will be interesting to see how this transfer plot ends.
