Erling Braut Haaland could snub Premier League giants for RB Leipzig - report
Erling Braut Haaland’s Premier League suitors could be left frustrated in their pursuit of the RB Salzburg striker after reports claimed that he is considering a proposal from RB Leipzig.
The Norway international has set the Champions League alight this season by becoming the first player to score seven goals in his first four games in the competition.
The 19-year-old already has 23 strikes to his name this term in 17 appearances across all competitions, and his superb form has not gone unnoticed.
Manchester United,Liverpool and Arsenal are among the English sides to have shown interest in the player, while Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also keen.
But Sky Sports News claims that Haaland is considering a proposal from Bundesliga outfit Leipzig, which would ensure he stays affiliated with the RB group.
Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann believes the striker would slot perfectly into his squad, which is already the youngest in the German top flight.
But Haaland’s valuation has now gone above £80 million after his prolific start to the 2019/20 season.
The German club are nevertheless hopeful that they will be able to convince the youngster and his father, former Manchester City, Leeds and Nottingham Forest midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland, that his development would be best served by working under Nagelsmann.
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United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already coached the player during his spell in charge of Norwegian side Molde.
But he is in no hurry to make the jump to the Premier League, according to his father.
"At one stage he would like to play in the Premier League, but when that will happen I don't know,” he told TalkSport earlier this week.
“It is a very tough league. Up to now he is ahead of the stage we thought he would be at. He is built for the Premier League, but whether that will happen now or at a later stage, we don't know.
"He is at Salzburg - a fantastic club playing Champions League - so in a way he is in no hurry.
"They have shown from the past that they are a 'middle step' club and, if they are going to recruit players in the future, they can't put a stupid price tag on the players because nobody would want to go there.
"He was a Leeds fan and a City fan and a Nottingham Forest fan; he followed me obviously, but that is what you do in your youth, It is different being a supporter and having a job, but he was born in Leeds."
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.