How Real Madrid will line up with Haaland in 2024
Stuart Telford
- 11 Oct 2022 16:39 BST
- 3 min read
Erling Haaland has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in 2024. How would the European champions line up with the Norwegian goal-machine in their team?
Pep Guardiola has dismissed suggestions that there is a "Real Madrid-only" clause of €180 million for Haaland which activates in 2024, but that doesn't mean los Blancos won't try to move for the game's latest Galactico.
Haaland has already made a record-breaking start to life at Manchester City since his €60m arrival from Borussia Dortmund this summer, scoring 20 goals from just 13 games in all competitions, including 15 from nine in the Premier League.
Three games, three goals. Erling Haaland makes the Premier League look easy.pic.twitter.com/BJTkUPOJQP
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 22, 2022
Real have a world class striker of their own in Karim Benzema, who is the frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or, but the Frenchman is 12 years Haaland's senior, and the need to replace him in the longer term is obvious.
If Haaland were to move, he would no doubt take his place at the point of an attack which would see him flanked by Brazilian wonderkids Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. The pair are 22 and 21 respectively, and would, alongside Haaland, be on the cusp of their prime in two years.
Indeed, they could form one of the deadliest from threes in world football for a generation, with the likes of Eden Hazard long since seen off at the Bernabeu by then. Federico Valverde might have something to say about that, but he could be needed in a deeper area by 2024.
Real Madrid with Haaland?
Casemiro has already been allowed to leave for Manchester United in an €80m deal this summer, and his long-time Madrid teammates Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are already 37 and 32 respectively.
French pair Aurelien Tchouameni - a €100m arrival from Monaco this summer - and Eduardo Camavinga already represent the future in the middle of the park, and Valverde would complete a formidable midfield alongside them.
There may ultimately be some surgery to come further back, but the likes of David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Thibault Courtois still offer some welcome experience let along elite-level play, and they are still only 32 in 2024.
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"On our list, I think Manchester City is the best team," Haaland's father and agent Alfie said before the striker's move to City. "Bayern Munich is number two. We have Real Madrid as number three, Paris Saint-Germain as number four…"
Benzema's presence was something that counted against Madrid. Once the Frenchman goes, haaland could be more open to a move, and what a team he would be part of!
