ERLING HAALAND rejected a move to Juventus in January because they wanted to put him in the Under-23 squad.
The Norwegian sensation, 19, was the subject of plenty of interest after his flying start to the season with Red Bull Salzburg.
Erling Haaland was a January transfer target for Juventus but joined Borussia Dortmund insteadCredit: Reuters
He scored 28 goals in just 22 matches before the winter break as clubs fought for his signature.
Italian giants Juventus were keen to bring him to the club when the transfer window reopened.
But Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola revealed Maurizio Sarri did not have plans to include the teenager in the first-team anytime soon.
Raiola told La Repubblica: “Why didn’t Haaland move to Juventus? They would have put him in the Under-23 squad.”
Sarri already had Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and, at the time, Gonzalo Higuain at his disposal.
So instead, Haaland signed for Borussia Dortmund for just £17million – and that is already proving to be a bargain.
He has continued his red-hot form in front of goal with 13 in his first 12 Dortmund appearances, including a hat-trick on his debut.
The youngster expertly found the net to score his side’s first goal after the coronavirus suspension, guiding the ball inside the far post to kick-start a 4-0 win over Schalke.
But while he is a genius in front of goal, fans reckon he needs to work on his media appearances after his awkward exchange with a reporter following the victory.
The Norwegian does have a release clause of around £63m in his four-year contract at Dortmund, which comes into effect in 2021.
It is therefore likely that the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United will plot moves to try and land him at the second time of asking.
Watch awkward Erling Haaland interview with incredibly brief answers after Dortmund win
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
