According to managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke, Real Madrid want to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
“I can only guarantee that Real Madrid are very interested in him. I could now name 25 others. But I can guarantee it,” said Watzke image. At some point, according to Watzke, a move to Spain would make sense for Haaland: “I think it would be more popular in Spain. In England, a different kind of football is played.”
Initially, Watzke recommended that the 21-year-old striker remain in the Bundesliga. “If Erling were to go to Real Madrid now, there would be no festival committee. I can already imagine how a Benzema would approach it in training,” said Watzke, who put Haaland’s “overall development” in the foreground: “I want to be proud someday be that the Erling wins the Champions League with Real Madrid, for example. “
With regard to staying with Dortmund, Watzke is “not that skeptical”. A few days ago he had a “very good conversation with Mino Raiola (his advisor, editor’s note)”: “If we are in a target corridor the conversations are always very friendly. And this phone call was very friendly. We will definitely have another conversation over the next few weeks. ” For Haaland, whose contract runs until 2024, “there will be maybe 2.50 euros more”
Hans-Joachim Watzke: “I love Joshua Kimmich”
Meanwhile, Watzke raved about Joshua Kimmich from Bundesliga rivals FC Bayern Munich. “I love Joshua Kimmich for the way he plays football. And the way he lives it all on the pitch, of course you would like someone like that,” he said.
In general, Watzke thinks the center of FC Bayern with Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are “great. You just have to say that.” At Dortmund he trusts Jude Bellingham to develop a similar path.
The problem then is that with such a development, players would soon strive to say goodbye to Dortmund. “At Bayern they extended, with us they would probably have been gone again,” said Watzke. When asked whether talented players like Bellingham or especially Haaland can be retained with a call to captain, Watzke replied: “Mino Raiola is laughing himself to death.”
BVB boss Watzke rages over the failed first half of the season
Watzke looked back furiously at Dortmund’s 3-2 defeat at Hertha BSC on Saturday. “I had the feeling we didn’t have a bit of fuel in the tank. The 1-1 that Hertha was shooting out of nowhere – good God, that would certainly not have happened with our regular defense,” complained Watzke. “I am annoyed when we lose this dirty game yesterday. The place was unworthy for a Bundesliga game, this clay meadow.”
In Berlin, the regular defenders Mats Hummels and Manuel Akanji, among others, were out. Due to the defeat, the gap to the leaders FC Bayern is already nine points.
Coach Marco Rose expressed his confidence in Watzke: “He does it well and has complete backing, complete confidence.”
