Borussia Dortmund CEO confident of holding on to top Real Madrid & Barcelona target

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has opened up about Real Madrid and Barcelona's interest in his club's superstar Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian striker has set the stage on fire since arriving from Red Bull Salzburg in the 2020 January transfer window and is now attracting interest from Europe's best.

Real Madrid and Barcelona headline the clubs that have registered their interest in Haaland. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are also reportedly eager to sign the Dortmund striker.

Haaland's agent Mino Raiola and father Alf-Inge Haaland met representatives from various clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, in April.

Mino Raiola is in Barcelona right now, true and 100% confirmed as Sport reported. He’s landed today after meeting with BVB in Dortmund in the last days to talk about Erling Haaland’s future. The race is open with many clubs involved, Barça too. Work in progress. 🔴🇳🇴 #FCB #Barça

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 1, 2021

However, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has put a rest on the reports for the time being, claiming Haaland will stay with the Bundesliga club beyond the ongoing season.

"I clearly hope that Erling Haaland will play for us next year. Real Madrid and Barcelona? I think they know the contractual situation [of Haaland] and our position," Watzke told BILD.

The Dortmund CEO cited Jadon Sancho's case from last summer's transfer window to strengthen his claims of Haaland staying with the club. Sancho was close to joining Manchester United last summer but the move ultimately broke down.

Similarly, Watzke feels he will be able to keep the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona away from Haaland for at least the upcoming summer transfer window.

"I'm totally relaxed. Nobody believed us with Jadon Sancho last summer until the deadline, and today he's still with us. Either you have a squad where you sign a player and let him go, or you don't. We can live with it, and feel good, because we know the contractual situation, which helps us a lot," he said.

Will Real Madrid, Barcelona and others wait another year to sign Haaland?

Haaland's current contract with Borussia Dortmund only runs down in 2024. However, the Norwegian's release clause can reportedly be activated with a bid worth €75 million after the end of the 2021-22 season, which brings down his transfer price drastically.

While clubs interested in Haaland's signature will benefit on the financial front from waiting another year, it's likely they will be involved in a bidding war in the upcoming summer transfer window.