Real Madrid don't regret missing out on Erling Haaland
FT Desk
- 3 Sept 2022 16:01 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid were linked with a move for Erling Haaland this summer. Instead he joined Manchester City in a €60 million deal from Borussia Dortmund.
He has got off to an electric start in his Premier League career too, with hat-tricks in back-to-back games against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.
All told the Norwegian - his father Alfie played for City in the early 2000s - has plundered his 10 league goals at a rate of one every 40 minutes he has played.
3️⃣ in 3️⃣ for @ErlingHaaland ✨#ManCity pic.twitter.com/jFq8jjID6O
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 21, 2022
However, Real don't regret missing out on the 22-year-old because they feel they have the best No.9 in world football in Karim Benzema, according to Spanish sports daily Marca.
"For Real, Haaland's performance is not surprising," they write. "They don't regret what they did because they still consider that they have the best possible 9 in thei squad in Karim Benzema.
Benzema the best
"For this reason, the search for a replacement ceased when the possible targets were not even close to the Frenchman in terms of overall performance."
Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions last season as Real won La Liga and the Champions League, and is the betting favourite for October's Ballon d'Or.
Haaland is also on the shortlist for that individual award, as are Benzema's Real teammates Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois, and Antonio Rudiger.
Should Haaland move to Real in the future, he would cost significantly more than the €60m City paid for him, although los Blancos could have moved onto other targets by then.
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"It can't be said that Real will mortgage the No.9 position on what Haaland does in two years," Marca continue. "They will be attentive, but the search for the striker of the future is already underway. And that's why they're keeping an eye on Endrick and other young talent."
Endrick, 16, scored seven goals in seven games as Palmeiras won the Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior in January.
