Real Madrid ready to reactivate 'operation Erling Haaland' to sign Manchester City striker in 2024 - Paper Round
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Updated 24/03/2023 at 08:27 GMT
Real Madrid will reignite their pursuit of Erling Haaland in 2024 after missing out on the Norwegian striker to Manchester City last summer. Elsewhere, Thomas Tuchel is set to return to management with Bayern Munich, Marcus Rashford's contract extension talks with Manchester United have been put on hold and England are hoping to keep Folarin Balogun away from the United States senior team.
'He'll have a problem' - Guardiola on expectations growing for Haaland
Haaland is the Real deal
Real Madrid are planning their long-term transfer strategy and have made Erling Haaland their priority for 2024. Los Blancos view the Norwegian as the ideal heir to Karim Benzema and are willing to pay a world-record transfer fee to secure his signature. Real Madrid also believe they could poach Kylian Mbappe for free from Paris Saint-Germain as his contract is set to expire in the same summer.
Spanish media outlet AS reveal: "Real Madrid have reactivated ‘Operation Haaland’ and now consider him their priority signing for 2024, independent of whether Kylian Mbappe arrives or not.
"The club is set to offer an extra year to Karim Benzema, which would take him up to 2024, and they could have the Norwegian lined up as the perfect replacement when Benzema finishes at the club.
"According to AS’ own information, his price tag sits somewhere between €220 and €240 million.
"In Madrid the calculators are out and clicking away regarding the possibility of uniting Haaland, Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. together as Real Madrid’s super-Galactico front three for the new Santiago Bernabeu."
Tuchel returns to management
Thomas Tuchel is set to return to management with Bayern Munich after the German champions reportedly parted ways with Julian Nagelsmann. Tuchel has been out of work since September after he was sacked by Chelsea following a slow start to the Premier League season. Tottenham Hotspur are said to have held interest in the 49-year-old as Antonio Conte edges closer to an exit, but Bayern decided to move quickly to appoint Tuchel.
The Standard report: "The German giants have acted decisively to appoint the Bavarian-born coach after he had been linked with a return to the Premier League with Tottenham.
"For Bayern, they will sack one of football's most expensive managers after poaching Nagelsmann for a then world record-breaking £21million compensation fee from RB Leipzig."
Rashford contract extension on hold
Marcus Rashford has put his contract negotiations with Manchester United on hold until there is further clarity regarding the ownership of the club. The 25-year-old has just over one year remaining on his current deal and is not pushing for a move away. However, the current salary cap at Old Trafford may affect his new deal, so he is holding off to see what he can negotiate once the new owners are confirmed.
The Sun reveal: "Current owners The Glazers have been trying to get him on a new one since early in this campaign. But with Man Utd trying to impose a salary cap which sees the top earners get no more than between £200,000 to £300,000 a week, negotiations have stalled.
"He currently earns £200,000 a week and has been offered that 50 per cent rise to £300,000 in a five-year deal.
"Understandably Rashford’s camp will want to know what the two main prospective new owners Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have to offer when they take charge."
England keen to keep hold of Balogun
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley has confirmed that he plans to pick Folarin Balogun for the upcoming European Championships this summer, despite the ongoing question marks over the 21-year-old's international future. Balogun is eligible for the United States and Nigeria, as well as England, and has not been capped at senior level so has a choice to make.
The Mail report: "The Arsenal academy product is reported to have travelled to Orlando, where the USA are training before facing Grenada and El Salvador.
"Balogun, who has played through the England age groups and has seven Under-21 goals in 13 appearances, is debating his international future and is also eligible for Nigeria."
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