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Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland said the German side are pressuring him to choose a new club this summer.
Haaland, 21, is one of the most sought-after players in world football with top clubs in the Premier League as well as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain interested in his signing, according to ESPN, and he is expected to leave Dortmund at the end of the season.
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Speaking after his side’s 5-1 win over Freiburg in which he scored twice, Haaland told Norwegian TV channel Viaplay: “The last six months I have chosen not to say anything out of respect for Dortmund, but now the club has started to press me into making a decision.
“All I want to do is play football. But they press me about my future, so that means I have to make a decision soon.”
Pressed on whether that means he could announce his next destination soon, Haaland added: “That is what they [Dortmund] want. It means things will happen now. They have started to put a lot of pressure on me, and I have to accept that … so now is the time to get things started.”
The Erling Haaland-interview with @JanAageFjortoft now with subtitles! pic.twitter.com/v39MPMzIOT
— Viaplay Fotball (@ViaplayFotball) January 14, 2022
Haaland was asked when would be the ideal time for him to make this decision and responded: “Not now because we are in the middle of a difficult period, with a lot of games. I have said from the beginning that I want to focus on football, because that is when I am at my best. But I can’t do that now.”
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke played down reports of a row between the club and player but did not deny Haaland’s claims he was being pushed into a decision.
“There’s no problem with Erling,” Watzke told Ruhr Nachrichten. “He is a spontaneous person. He’s allowed to do that. But he must also have some understanding for our situation — we can’t wait until the end of May.”
Dortmund’s win brought them to within three points of leaders Bayern, who have a game in hand. They face St. Pauli in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 on Tuesday while they are also competing in Europa League and must overcome Rangers in the playoffs.