Transfer News: Chelsea dealt blow in pursuit of prolific 21-year-old star

Chelsea were dealt a major blow in their bid to land Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland

In conversation with Cadena SER via Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football.London), former Swansea striker Michu has hinted that Chelsea transfer target and rising star Erling Haaland could be on his way to Spain. This could be a big blow for the Blues who were thought to be pursuing the Norwegian striker.

The 21-year-old has showcased immense potential ever since his RB Salzburg days. The Norwegian had attracted interest from top clubs around the world but chose to sign with Borussia Dortmund and it seems to have further propelled his career in the right direction.

Haaland is thought to have a €75million (£63million) release clause in his current contract with BVB. Despite the huge fee, clubs could be lining up to secure his services based on some of the unreal performances that he has showcased in the past few years.

The 21-year-old Norwegian has produced some mind-boggling stats for the German club. He has played 79 matches across all competitions for Dortmund to date and has managed to bag 80 goals for himself whilst also chipping in with 21 assists.

Opening up on Haaland’s current situation, Michu highlighted the fact that the youngster likes Spain which could be an indication of his future club. He went on to add that the Norwegian is looking for a competitive project and might Dortmund soon.

“I was with Haaland, I had a conversation with him and I think he is not going to continue at Dortmund. Haaland is looking for a very strong team that can compete in the Champions League. He is looking for a competitive team. He gave me the feeling that he was looking for a sports project for many years and he told me that he liked Spain.”

Chelsea and the future of Erling Haaland

The Blues have spent enormous amounts of money to recruit exciting attacking options in recent windows. The West Londoners spent £97.5m on Romelu Lukaku making him their most expensive signing ever. Whilst the Belgian striker conjured up a feared partnership along with Lautaro Martinez at Inter Milan, he has found it difficult to replicate the same feat at Chelsea.

The Belgian has put in some decent performances in the recently concluded FIFA Club World Cup and the fans would be hoping that he can continue that run for the Blues in the other competitions. The likes of Timo Werner have also struggled to get on the scoresheet as frequently as one would hope for and Christian Pulisic has nagging injury issues that disrupt his momentum from time to time.

Erling Haaland could be viewed as the perfect man to add some more venom in the attacking department at Chelsea. Despite his young age the Norwegian has consistently delivered on the big stage and could finally be looking to take the next step in his career.

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With all the buzz surrounding the 21-year-old, it certainly won’t be easy to secure his services. That being said pulling this deal off would be similar to Marina Granovskaia conjuring a rabbit out of a hat. Only time can tell us about his next destination but with the current developments, it seems highly unlikely that Erling Haaland will make his way to Stamford Bridge anytime soon.