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Having lost Erling Haaland to Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has admitted that they don’t have the muscle to fend off footballing powerhouses. Instead of wallowing over their lack of resources, Watzke, however, has confidently claimed that his club will once again unearth a superstar.
Concluding a long-drawn transfer saga, the English champions finally announced on Tuesday (May 10) that they have an agreement in principle with Dortmund regarding Haaland's transfer. The Citizens presumably activated the Norwegian’s buyout clause, which, as per renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano, was €60 million. The player would reportedly earn £375,000/week at the Etihad Stadium, making him the joint-highest paid player at City, alongside Kevin De Bruyne.
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Speaking to CNN, Dortmund CEO Watzke revealed his thoughts on Haaland’s transfer, stating that they were forced to compete with “oligarchs and Arabian states.” He said:
“That's the only way for us because when a player performs very well, we have to fight against the big, big, big clubs with the oligarchs and the Arabian states at their back.”
Watzke also talked about some of the good deals and bad deals in recent years, asserting that Dortmund would keep thriving even without Haaland.
The Dortmund chief added:
“Sometimes, it's a good deal; sometimes, it's not so good. When we sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona after a short period, it was a very good deal. When Robert Lewandowski left us without a transfer fee, it was not a good deal, but that's football. But we [Dortmund] have played football for 113 years, and for 111 years, we played without Erling Haaland. We had Robert Lewandowski and then he left us in 2014, but we played football in '15, '16, '17 until now… Then next came Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and then Erling Haaland. And you can be sure if Erling takes a decision to leave us, we will find the next [player] 100% percent.”
Haaland, who has missed 13 games this season (via Transfermarkt) due to injuries, has scored 85 goals in 88 appearances for Dortmund. The Norway international has reportedly (via Fabrizio Romano) signed a five-year contract with the reigning English champions and will join them on July 1.
Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland combination will be a treat for Manchester City fans
Over the last half a decade, Manchester City midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne has proven himself to be the Premier League's best creator. The Belgian has 85 assists to his name in the English league alone, that too without a potent forward finishing them off. With Haaland in the mix for next season, it will not be surprising if De Bruyne’s assist tally gets a substantial boost.
Haaland has had a hard time keeping himself fit this season, but it is too early to call him an injury-prone player. Granted, he remains healthy and takes the chances as well as he has during his Dortmund spell, Manchester City could emerge as the league’s most trigger-happy team.
Breaching the 100-goal mark in the English top-flight could very well become the new norm for Pep Guardiola's team.
