Haaland, at 21, has already proved he's one of the best strikers in soccer. He's scored 64 goals in 61 games over the last two seasons and will only add to that if he can get past his recent injury issues. But Haaland is stuck between a rock and a hard place. As I mentioned in my winners and losers of the transfer window, Haaland is an unfortunate loser in that it's not his fault. This summer was supposed to be the Haaland sweepstake, but now it looks like Manchester City is satisfied with Julian Alvarez coming in the summer; Real Madrid might be opting for Kylian Mbappe, and Liverpool signed Luis Diaz. And while Real Madrid may dream of pairing Haaland with Mbappe, Haaland strikes me as the kind of guy who wants to prove he's the best in the world, which makes Kylian Mbappe his natural rival for the next decade so he won't sign for the same team. That leaves Manchester United and Barcelona, two clubs at the worst they have been in over a decade.
Of those two, Barcelona is by far the most realistic. Sure they signed Aubameyang, but he turns 33 this summer, so Haaland matches the potential of their youthful roster much more. And more importantly, his transfer release clause of 75 million means Barcelona may be able to afford him despite their financial crisis. The other alternative is Manchester United, but they are in absolute shambles and have Cristiano Ronaldo under contract for another season.
But my personal favorite and dark horse in this race is Liverpool. Erling Haaland in Klopp's Liverpool system would be an absolute cheat code. A front three of Mane-Haaland-Salah is one I want to see purely as a fan of the beautiful game and for the sake of seeing Liverpool challenge Manchester City for years to come. Unfortunately, the only reason this one isn't realistic is the unofficial wage-cap at the club. The club is notoriously cheap, evident by the fact that they're entrenched in a contract negotiation battle with Mo Salah, a player virtually every other club would offer the world to if he asked. Haaland's agent is Mino Raiola, and if you know what that means, you'll know that his salary demands aren't the type Liverpool will pick up.
Probable Final Destination: Barcelona
Hopeful Final Destination: Liverpool