(Football news) Erling Haaland is the hottest property in European football at the moment. It was only a matter of time before the Norwegian left Borussia Dortmund and all reliable reports suggest that it will be in the summer. Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were named potential destinations but now it is down to Madrid and Manchester City with an outside chance of Barcelona.

Manchester City without question need a striker and realistically have two options. They unsuccessfully tried to sign Harry Kane in the summer from Tottenham Hotspur. Now they could try and sign Kane again but the stubbornness of Spurs and the presence of Antonio Conte makes the deal difficult. 21-year-old Erling Haaland will be a long term option for approximately the same amount of money. From the striker's perspective, the deal will be perfect as he will be playing in the club where his dad, Alf-Inge Haaland played and will be the leader of the City attack.

All the benefits of joining City go in vain if Real Madrid comes calling. The pull power of Los Blancos is second to none and Kylian Mbappe is a prime example of that. If Madrid wants to sign Haaland then there is a good chance that they will get it done. If Haaland wants to achieve legendary status right away then Real Madrid is the place to go but the real question is should Real Madrid go for Haaland. There has been a lot of speculation coming from the Bernabeu, especially after the 4-0 hammering by FC Barcelona. 

Mbappe is almost certainly heading to Madrid in the summer. From Haaland's point of view, at Madrid, he will have to share the limelight with the Frenchman and Vinicius Jr. Another concern for him would be Benzema, whose recent performances indicate that he has another two years at the top level. It is tough to imagine Haaland on the bench of any team, even if it is in favour of Benzema, Vinicius and Mbappe. 

From Madrid's point of view the plus side of signing Haaland is that he is a generational talent and signing two of the best players in the world is something every club dreams of. In the El Clasico, the fans saw how Madrid struggled without Benzema and getting good competition for their legendary striker might work in their favour. The post Benzema era with Vinicius, Mbappe and Haaland will be as secure as it can get. 

The big issue is that Haaland can become a surplus to needs. Reliable reports say that if Madrid don't sign Haaland they will sign reinforcements which are definitely needed. Real Madrid still look in dire need of a centre back, right back, left back and a midfielder. Filling gaps in the other parts instead of stacking up the forwards could be the sensible thing to do. Haaland's young age means that they will get a chance to sign him in the future when he reaches his ultimate prime.

Reports suggest that Haaland and his agent Mino Raiola do not want a contract longer than 3 years. What would be great for Real Madrid and the Haaland will be if the Norwegian joins Manchester City on a 3 year contract which has a clause for Haaland to leave for Madrid at a set fee. Real Madrid are traditionally known to crack deals like these. A similar thing happened with Cristiano Ronaldo when Real Madrid failed to sign him in 2003 and eventually ended up getting him 6 years later.

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