Ronaldo v Haaland: Bayern reveal who their transfer priority was
Robin Bairner
- 3 Sept 2022 21:09 BST
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland were two of the major protagonists of the 2022 summer transfer window, which ended with the Portuguese staying at Manchester United and started with the Norwegian moving to Manchester City.
Bayern Munich were linked with both players at different points of the year, though they were ultimately unsuccessful in signing either.
Now sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has revealed how close FCB were to signing the superstars – and which player they really had their eye on.
Speaking to Sky Germany, he explained: "We were in talks for Haaland, but it became clear that things might not work out that way for both sides. That's why he's at Manchester City now and that's why we have other players."
Related articles
Bayern cool on Ronaldo
The Ronaldo case was different, though. Bayern denied their interest from the moment the rumours appeared in the media, and that is the attitude they continue to take now the window has closed.
“He's an incredibly big personality. A big player who has made his mark on the world of football in recent years,” Salihamidzic explained.
“It wasn't an option for us because we were doing other things and before that we organised our offensive in such a way that they, but you don't have to feel sorry for him. He's a great footballer who has achieved great things in recent years.”
Bayern’s decision to overlook Ronaldo has been vindicated by his Premier League performances in August, during which he failed to score a single goal. However, after missing the duration of pre-season, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will expect to see a sharp improvement going forwards.
Haaland, on the other hand, has made the best goalscoring start to a season in Premier League history, with the Manchester City forward having already scored an incredible 10 times in England’s top flight.
Read more about: Bundesliga, Premier League, Bayern, Man City, Man Utd, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland
