Why Erling Braut Håland choosing Dortmund is the best thing that could have happened... for everyone

Following a lengthy transfer saga linking Erling Braut Håland with virtually every single top flight team in the world, he has picked his destination... Borussia Dortmund. Even as a Manchester United fan, I think this is the perfect move for him. A fantastic, clinical young striker with the world at his feet, joining a huge club in desperate need of a talisman to lead the line. Dortmund have struggled to find a striker that fits their front line: Reus and Sancho are partnered with... Paco Alcacer? I don't think so!

Paco has proved to be a useful squad player for Dortmund, but only 6 appearances in the Bundesliga shows the faith that the manager has (or has not got) in him. Mario Gotze and Thorgan Hazard, amongst others, have been deployed as false nines or just as out and out strikers, and the transfer market was calling. Olivier Giroud seemed the perfect fit for the approaching January window, a cheap, proven goal scorer who would see them through the season before reassessing the situation in the summer. However, nobody could have predicted the season that Erling Braut Håland has produced thus far. 16 goals and 4 assists in just 14 Austrian Bundesliga games goes some way to explaining why Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Juventus (to name just a few) all threw their hat in the ring for the 19 year old.

Manchester United seemed top contenders for the youngster - who fits Ole Gunnar Solkjaer's profile for a Man United player. I believe Håland and Manchester United may cross paths in the future, but for now, I think this is good business from United staying clear of this one. While his stats speak for themselves, at just 19, Håland would have to contend with other, more proven forwards in Martial and Rashford, not to mention Greenwood, for a starting place, whereas he simply walks into that Dortmund front line. Alongside that, United and Håland's agent, Mino Raiola, have history, and do not like conducting business with each other. While the transfer fee of €20 million seems like a bargain, the reality is that this is just the front of the transfer costs. Mine Raiola reportedly took a staggering €15 million extra in commission from Dortmund for this deal, as well as having to dish out a further €10 million to Håland's father, Alf-Inge Håland (you may remember him having his leg broken by Roy Keane whilst playing for Leeds a few years ago... maybe that had something to do with it). This brings the transfer closer to the €45 million mark, and that's without even considering wages, bonuses and a signing fee...

Juventus was never the right deal for him, Dybala, Higuain and Ronaldo are currently struggling for places in the starting XI so an unproven 19 year old, even as promising as Håland would really struggle to get into that team. RB Leipzig looked to make the most sense, with Salzburg and the German team seeming to have some sort of transfer agreement in place with their franchise connection, but Timo Werner is on fire there and de-throning him could prove difficult. Liverpool need no reinforcement with Origi and Shaqiri as more than suitable backups should any of that dynamic front three get injured, and Bayern have arguably the best striker in the world right now in Robert Lewandowski.

Overall, it is an expensive transfer for Dortmund, but it makes so much sense that the money is more than justified. As for Håland himself, although I'm gutted he didn't pick United (I'm sure we'll see him in red sooner or later), I really do believe that he's taken the right option there - a great club, with great players (other than in his position), an amazing ground full of amazing fans, and a good chance to improve himself as a young player for the next 5 or so years, before his inevitable move to the Premier League in the future...