Borussia Dortmund Admits 'Difficulty' In Keeping Norwegian Superstar Next Summer

Borussia Dortmund acknowledges that getting Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland to stay will be difficult but not impossible, according to CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.

Speaking to the German outlet Welt am Sonntag , Watzke made the admission.

“Of course it will be difficult. I am not saying, however, that it is completely out of the question. We'll do everything we can to keep our top players loyal to us in the future,” said Watzke.

Haaland has been one of the hottest names during the recently-concluded summer transfer window as teams across Europe have been doing their best to entice Borussia Dortmund to sell the player.

From English Premier League clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea to La Liga giants Real Madrid, Haaland has been linked with the biggest clubs throughout Europe.

Real Madrid in particular has more than enough transfer capital to go after Haaland according to La Liga president Javier Tebas.

Chelsea reportedly agreed to personal terms with Haaland early in the transfer window, but talks stalled as the German side set a high asking price for him.

Manchester United was keen on signing Haaland but chose to prioritize securing Jadon Sancho’s transfer over him.

With a transfer clause of around €90 million ($105.5 million) set to kick in next summer, Borussia Dortmund may have to ready themselves in case a club decides to go all in on him.

The German side has been able to produce skillful strikers in the past like Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who have since gone on to different clubs.

Losing Haaland will be a massive detriment to Borussia Dortmund’s hopes of knocking off Bayern Munich from the top of the Bundesliga for the ninth straight season.

However, Watzke remains positive that they can bounce back from the worst-case scenario, should it happen.

"We have to have the self-confidence to say we'll find a new top striker again,” said Watzke.

Borussia Dortmund only trails Bayern Munich by a single point in the Bundesliga and will look to close the gap against Borussia Munchengladbach this Saturday, September 25.