Bayern Munich: Rummenigge remains pessimistic about signing Erling Haaland
The recently concluded summer transfer window witnessed numerous big transfers, including the two biggest stars- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The next summer window is expected to be dominated by Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland. Bayern Munich is also likely to join the race for the Norwegian striker.
Haaland has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe over the last couple of seasons. The 21-year-old striker is expected to get even better as his career progresses. His outstanding performances have attracted interest from all top European clubs.
Chelsea reportedly tried to sign Haaland from Dortmund earlier this summer, but the German club was in no mood to sanction his departure after selling Jadon Sancho to Manchester United. Dortmund will not be able to hold on to him beyond next summer since the release clause worth €75 million becomes active next summer.
Earlier this summer, Hasan Salihamidzic publicly declared Die Roten’s interest in Haaland. However, former club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge remains skeptical about this transfer. While talking to AS over the weekend, Rummenigge admitted that the potential financial package needed to sign Haaland would be beyond Bayern’s reach.
"“The clubs are already lining up to convince him and his agent. We will live a real auction of who will pay the highest salary, because the transfer fee is already fixed. I don’t think it’s realistic for any Bundesliga club, not even Bayern.”"
Along with enormous wages and transfer fee, the commission for Haaland’s agent-Mino Raiola will be significant. The German Champions are yet to work with Raiola in the past decade or so to sign a high-profile player. Rummenigge’s concerns and pessimism regarding this transfer are understandable since the Bavarian club has been maintaining a strict wage structure, along with competing for major trophies.
As of now, Die Roten has a top-class striker in Robert Lewandowski. However, the Polish striker will be turning 34 next season. Even though he has shown no signs of slowing down, Rekordmeister will have to start looking for his long-term successor. Haaland ticks all boxes to succeed Lewandowski, but financially the transfer could be prohibitive for the defending Bundesliga champions.
Salihamidizic has been consistently insisting that Rekordmeister will be in the mix when Haaland decides to Dortmund. The big Premier League clubs and Paris Saint-Germain could blow Die Roten away by offering a bigger wage package, so the Bavarian faithful should be more inclined to agree with Rummenigge’s opinion on this situation.
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Rekordmeister will have to be more creative while finding a successor for Lewandowski. The German club should also make sure that the Polish striker spends the rest of his career in Bavaria. His current contract expires in 2023, so a new deal should be in the pipeline for him. A young striker next summer learning the trade from Lewandowski in the next two seasons will be the perfect and feasible squad-building approach for Die Roten.