Real Madrid are currently embroiled in the saga of Kylian Mbappe again, but in the meantime, news continues to emerge around Erling Haaland too. It is not yet clear whether that is a smokescreen to apply pressure on Mbappe, but certainly it would have many a Manchester City fan sitting a little less comfortably reading the latest reports from Madrid.
Cadena SER reports that Real Madrid are employing a similar strategy to try and bring Haaland to the Santiago Bernabeu, whether that be this summer or next, to the one they used with Jude Bellingham. Los Blancos have not spoken directly with Haaland or City, but instead are leaving the talks and the approach to third parties that have a good relationship with Haaland.
Bellingham is thought to be one of them. The two share a dressing room at Borussia Dortmund, and is reported in regular contact with the Norwegian giant. With Bellingham, his idol Zinedine Zidane was used as a way of getting closer to him too, and it is not yet clear whether Real Madrid are planning on using a similar senior figure to do the same.
With Mbappe’s future obscure, the desire from Madrid to bring in a top striker will undoubtedly shift to Haaland if the Frenchman does not arrive. While Haaland was at Dortmund, Los Blancos also made an effort to try and sign him, but did not push as hard as they might have in 2022, under the assumption that Mbappe would sign later that year.