Four ways Borussia Dortmund can line up with new signing Erling Haaland
Borussia Dortmund have won the race to sign in-demand Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a sharp rise to prominence with Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg this season, scoring eight goals in six Champions League games, as well as a further 16 in just 14 league appearances.
Haaland to Dortmund: Five key things to know…
- Only Robert Lewandowski (10) has scored more UCL goals this season than Haaland (eight).
- The Norway international also has 16 goals in 14 Austrian Bundesliga appearances.
- His form has saw him linked with the likes of Man Utd, Juventus and Liverpool in recent months.
- But Borussia Dortmund have announced the signing of the 19-year-old.
- Haaland will join in January on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
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That form had seen him linked with the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Liverpool to name but a few potential destinations. However, in the end, it is German giants Dortmund who have won out, signing Haaland on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
Die Schwarzgelben announced the signing with a post on their official Twitter account which showed someone reading a list of aims for 2020. They were: learn German, score more goals, enjoy the Yellow Wall, win the Derby and ask for the all-black shirt.
🤔 Wer schreibt denn hier schon seine Wünsche für 2020 auf? pic.twitter.com/6rhGmVlMhs
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) December 29, 2019
At the end of the video, the camera panned out to reveal Haaland before showing the striker signing a contract. The striker has already revealed he is “burning” to play in front of an 80-000 strong Dortmund crowd.
“I had intensive discussions with the club management and the sports management, especially with Hans-Joachim Watzke, Michael Zorc and trainer Lucien Favre,” said Haaland upon signing his deal.
“There was a feeling right from the start that I absolutely wanted to switch to this club, go this route and play football in this incredible Dortmund atmosphere in front of more than 80,000 spectators. I’m already burning for it.”
#SquawkaScout: Erling Håland
Borussia Dortmund have just signed themselves a freak of nature. 🤖 pic.twitter.com/NaxNjyHr5b
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 29, 2019
Dortmund are currently in the middle of their winter break, meaning Haaland may have to wait until January 18th to make his debut when Lucien Favre’s men travel to Augsburg, chasing down a seven-point gap on Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig in the title race.
The teenager’s arrival represents a significant statement of intent and proves how attractive an option the club is to young players, despite having to compete with teams capable of offering significantly higher wages.
How Dortmund could line up with Haaland
With the likes of Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt in the Dortmund squad, Favre has a number of options when trying to get the best out of Haaland, who joins a team laced with versatility.
The most obvious choice for Favre would be to continue in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, with Haaland replacing Spanish striker Paco Alcacer as the lone striker, supported by a trio of Hazard, Reus and Jadon Sancho.
However, as mentioned, Favre’s squad is rich with players able to operate in multiple positions across the midfield and forward line, leaving a number of options open if he wishes to fit Haaland in around some of his bigger names.
Here are three more of those potential line-ups:
