Romelu Lukaku’s move to Chelsea takes one competitor out of Manchester United’s path for Erling Haaland next summer. The MEN reported last week the striker is United’s top target for 2022.
However, don’t expect United’s pursuit of Haaland to be easy. One very strong competitor has declared interest, Bayern Munich.
Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told Sport1: “He’s a top player, and I hear a great boy too. You look there, but he’s a Dortmund player. Sixty goals in 60 games. You have to look, otherwise we would be full amateurs.”
Sky Sports report Bayern may struggle to compete against some teams financially for Haaland, but with a clause in his contract permitting him to leave next summer, the transfer fee is less of an issue.
Haaland can command top wages, but he will also choose the club which attracts him the most. Bayern can promise him the chance to win regular Bundesliga titles in a league he has already dominated on an individual scale.
Bayern have a track record of hoovering up top Bundesliga talent from their rivals. Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski previously made the move from Dortmund, while just this summer, Dayot Upamecano joined from RB Leizpig along with manager Julian Nagelsmann.
They want to find a long term successor to Lewandowski, and understandably they are looking to Haaland.
Dealing with Mino Raiola may be an obstacle for them, but Salihamidzic’s declaration of interest in the Dortmund striker shows they may be willing to set this aside.
Haaland to Bayern would free up Lewandowski
Haaland to Bayern would leave Manchester United going back to the drawing board in search of a striker in 2022.
The silver lining for United in the even of Haaland joining Bayern, would be that Robert Lewandowski would leave, as the two strikers would not want to compete with one another.
Lewandowski will have just one year remaining on his Bayern Munich deal next summer, and it will be the ideal time for the German champions to cash in.
United could very well take up the option to bring in Lewandowski on a similar basis behind the Edinson Cavani move.
Lewandowski may be past his peak, but he remains an absolutely lethal goalscorer who could still contribute two or three years at the top in the Premier League leading the line for United.
The Pole will turn 34 next August, the same age Cavani was when he joined United. Cavani struck 17 goals last season, showing his age is just a number.
Lewandowski has an incredible record of 277 goals in 350 Bundesliga games, and 73 goals in 96 Champions League matches.
Even just last season, Lewandowski scored an incredible 48 goals in 40 club matches, while adding a further nine assists.
This may not be the long term solution United want, but there will not be a better alternative on the market if Erling Haaland joins Bayern.
United will of course try and and push for the younger Haaland next year. But Bayern could be a tempting proposition. If he heads to the Allianz Arena, look out for Lewandowski making the move to Old Trafford to pick up where Cavani left off.
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