Liverpool supporters already understood in 2020 the potential Erling Haaland had in front of the opponents’ goal. It was therefore a mystery to many, that the Reds signed Takumi Minamino, instead of his Norwegian teammate, when they left Red Bull Salzburg in 2020. Jürgen Klopp has once again explained why Haaland didn’t end up at Anfield.
Everyone in European football has known how good Haaland could be ever since he scored 28 goals in 22 games for RB Salzburg during the first half of the 2019/20 season. This included Klopp and Liverpool, who saw him score at Anfield during a visit to the group stage of the Champions League that season. Minamino also impressed that night, but according to the German manager, there was never any question of Minamino or Haaland, as Haaland had decided to want a starting place in a top team, something Liverpool could not offer.
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Haaland eventually moved to Dortmund in the same January that Minamino went to Liverpool and started right away. But when Minamino struggled to settle down on Merseyside, Klopp said there was never an option to get them both.
-The difference could not be greater. Erling Haaland made a perfect choice with Dortmund, and Taki also made a perfect choice. Dortmund needed a striker. Everyone blames Man United for not getting him, but we wouldn’t have gotten him – not that we tried. It’s that simple. He wanted a top team, as soon as possible, with a vacant spot – Borussia Dortmund,” Klopp says according to rousingthecop.
-It’s the timing. I hope you know how much I love and respect the people of Dortmund, but it’s not like they had a perfect approach and did this and that, it was more that they were there, had the place, number nine… ‘Here it comes, you’re 19 years old, want to play the Champions League, the top of the Bundesliga, so go for it’. No one else had a chance, I’m pretty sure of that, no matter what they say. Taki experiences a completely different situation here. It’s normal,” Klopp explains.
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Two and a half years later, when Haaland arrived at City, it also seemed like a case of a race with one horse on the starting line. With Haaland tied to a contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2034, there is no chance he will ever play for Liverpool.
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