Haaland has been tipped to join Liverpool by his first international coach by Alf Ingve Berntsen, who says he has made the right choice in choosing clubs before.
This summer is set to be one of the craziest transfer windows yet as the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic still has football clubs across Europe reeling.
Two names stand out above the crowd: Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. The two young forwards are seen as key to unlocking continuous success over the next decade and the race to sign them is well underway already.
Between the two of them, they have directly contributed to 83 goals in all competitions and that number will surely reach 100 by the end of the season.
MUNICH, GERMANY – APRIL 07: Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain poses for a photo with the Player of the Match award following the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain at Allianz Arena on April 07, 2021 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Speaking on air with BBC 5 Live, as transcribed by the Mirror, Berntsen said: “If I had to decide, I’d go for Liverpool because that’s my club – but I don’t decide.
“I don’t have a clue what they will do, Erling and his team have made very good choices and shown great knowledge in choosing the club that’s best for him in the past.”
ESPN reported in March that it would cost €180million to sign the Norwegian.
What would Haaland add to Liverpool’s lineup?
Signing an out and out no.9 like Erling Haaland would require a major change to the Reds’ system as it would likely require Roberto Firmino to forfeit his role in the starting lineup and as we saw against Real Madrid, this has dire consequences for their defensive shape.
Haaland would be a terrifying player in the Anfield outfit especially when being pressed by him high up the pitch, with his pace, strength and relentless nature perfect for a high pressing system.
Manchester City’s Ruben Dias (left) and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland battle for the ball during the UEFA Champions League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Picture date: Tuesday April 6, 2021. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
Trading Firmino’s pressing and positional intelligence for a guaranteed 40 goals and assists per season is an acceptable trade-off.
Liverpool’s midfield would, however, need to work overtime to negate Firmino’s absence but with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez set to return next season, the highline that Jurgen Klopp favours would be safe again.
