Would Real Madrid Spend $373M on Erling Haaland?

European soccer giants Real Madrid could be ready to splash some serious cash to return to glory.

In pursuit of 21-year-old superstar Erling Haaland, Real want to meet with his current club, Borussia Dortmund, to discuss the forward’s situation and whether it makes sense to bid for him, according to ESPN.

Real’s interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has been well-documented, but the club could conceivably add both strikers and finally fill the void left by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018. That could be costly.

• Haaland is signed with Dortmund through 2024 with a release clause of around $82M this summer.
• A deal for the Norwegian could cost more than $373M with the transfer fee, commission, and salary.
• He scored 23 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions this season — and 80 in 79 since joining Dortmund in 2020.

Real Madrid lead the La Liga table by six points and are looking to win their second title in three seasons (2019-20). Domestic titles are all well and good, but Real traditionally prioritize the UEFA Champions League.

They last won the UCL in 2018, capping an astonishing run of four titles in five years, including three straight under club legend Zinedine Zidane. They haven’t made a final since, exiting in the semis last season and otherwise crashing out in the Round of 16.

Real are currently down a goal on aggregate in their Round of 16 fixture with PSG.

And as always, other European powerhouses are also circling Haaland, including Manchester City and Barcelona.