Everybody was wrong with Haaland – Raiola thinks Dortmund move was ´too careful´

Mino Raiola believes he may have been too cautious by moving his star client Erling Haaland to Borussia Dortmund.

The 20-year-old sensation joined Dortmund from Salzburg in January 2020 and has been on a goalscoring frenzy ever since.

Dortmund have reportedly set a €180million price tag for Haaland, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid all expected to compete for his signature.

With a reported release clause in the striker’s contract from 2022, clubs will need to meet Dortmund’s demands if they wish to sign Haaland a year earlier than that.

Raiola believes the form Haaland has shown in Dortmund colours proves he could have moved directly to one of the continent’s biggest clubs.

“With Haaland, everybody was wrong,” the super agent told The Athletic.

“He did things much quicker than everybody imagined. Haaland is in front of his own development. He is ahead of his own schedule. 

“Maybe I was too careful when I said: ‘Oh no, let’s move to Dortmund instead of I-don’t-know-where.

“This boy — I’m 100 per cent convinced and everybody’s convinced — can move to any club, wherever he wants, already on this level. 

“And he could have done that last year.

“But maybe last year there were still teams [saying], ‘Oh, he was in Red Bull (Salzburg), can he do it in another club?’.

“He is quicker than his own prediction. So yeah, Haaland is the talk of the town.”

 

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Raiola insisted it was not completely certain that Haaland will leave Dortmund at the end of the season and opened up on the decision for him not to join United.

The Norway forward has scored 21 goals in as many Bundesliga games this season, adding another 10 from six in the Champions League, a competition where he tops the scoring charts.

United, meanwhile, are still searching for a long-term solution at the number nine position despite bringing in Edinson Cavani on a free transfer last year.

“There was no fall-out between me and [United executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward,” added Raiola.

“I do not know if Manchester United are briefing this but if they are then they are covering their own loss and that I find strange and disappointing.

“It was just a normal negotiation and the player has chosen a different path.  

“If they want to blame someone then, fine, blame me but the player is happy. He has made his choice and we went through a normal process.

“This is a moment of waiting and seeing what is in the best interest of the player. 

“Sometimes the best interest of the player is not to move when everybody says he has to move.

“And sometimes it is in the best interest of the player to move when everybody says he has to stay. So we will see what happens.”