A DEAL between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund for £154m-rated Erling Haaland CAN be done this summer, according to Mino Raiola.
The striker’s agent has dismissed Florentino Perez’s concerns over the finances of the deal – claiming the club cannot afford NOT to sign him.
The collapse of the European Super League led to the Real chief voicing his concern over Los Blancos’ ability to sign big-name players such as Haaland.
But Madrid have not bought any players in over a year and Raiola opened the door to a move to the Spanish capital or Barcelona.
The 53-year-old told AS: “I don’t know [if Real can afford Haaland], because I haven’t studied their finances.
“But I believe so, yes. I think everyone can afford him.
“But the question is this: can Madrid afford not to buy Haaland? And the same for Barcelona?
“It’s difficult but not impossible [for Barcelona].
“That is the job of a club president. It is the same for the clubs as it is for the players.
“A train passes by and what do you do? You take it or you don’t take it. And that’s the big question.”
BETTING SPECIAL – 80/1 FOR A PENALTY FOR EITHER SIDE
When a club like Barcelona or Madrid arrives, with so much history, it is difficult to say no.
Mino Raiola
Raiola has accepted that Borussia do not want to sell 20-year-old Haaland, who has hit 37 goals this season.
But a reported £154million deal could be done if the right opportunity ‘presents itself’ with Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Manchester City named as potential destinations.
The agent said: “[Not selling] is the official position of Dortmund.
“But I have another position, I think that if a good opportunity presents itself and everyone is happy, we will put it on the table.”
He added: “Haaland is interested in two things: scoring goals, because he is like a Cristiano [Ronaldo] or a Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], he has that positive obsession; and winning titles.
“And he will choose, surely, where those two things will likely happen most often.
“It is very difficult to lie. When a club like Barcelona or Madrid arrives, with so much history, it is difficult to say no.
“PSG are entering this group of greats, City are trying to get there, Juve have always been there.
“The championship they play in also matters. PSG play in the worst league of the greats. Bayern are already in an attractive league, but we know that they always win it. In Spain there are three [clubs] with a chance.”
Perez’s concerns that the doomed European Super League breakaway will damage Madrid’s market prospects also left Raiola baffled.
Far from viewing the project as a terrible idea, he instead believed it would be a ‘wonderful experiment’ if it co-existed with the Champions League.
Raiola explained: “Ferrari can race one car in Formula One and another in LeMans.
“Why can’t Madrid play in the Champions League and also in the Super League? It would be the most wonderful experiment in football.
“Have two tournaments, the Champions League and Super League. And let the general public decide which one they like best.
“I watched the protests in the street with disbelief. They were protests against something that had not yet been explained.
“They protested against the feeling of a closed competition. But the Super League would not be forced upon them?
“If you hate it, don’t buy the rights or pay to see it. If you want to see it… go ahead. But the key is the word ‘also’.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
