Real Madrid weigh up £174m Erling Haaland release clause swoop in two seasons – Paper Round

Real weigh up Haaland deal

Manchester City signed Erling Haaland with his £51 million release clause this summer from Borussia Dortmund, and The Mirror believes the same could happen in a couple of years. In 2024, Haaland can leave for a fee of £174m, with Real Madrid already considering a swoop. City, however, are going to try to sign fresh terms with the Norwegian to get rid of the clause.

Paper Round’s view: Haaland is an absolutely wonderful striker and he may now consider himself even better than Kylian Mbappe. If he is available for £174m and has more than five years left in his prime – and possibly double that – he would prove to be a potential bargain despite the high outlay. City would do well to get rid of that weakness in their position.

Forest consider Cooper replacement

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is on the brink, according to The Sun. Cooper took Forest up and oversaw £150m spent on 23 players, but they have lost five straight games, including a 4-0 defeat to Leicester City in their last outing. They are looking at bringing in New York Red Bull manager Gerhard Struber, who has impressed in the last few years in America.

Paper Round’s view: The Austrian also did well with Barnsley in The Championship and has time at Red Bull Salzburg, so he has a decent reputation and varied experience. Cooper took a big risk when he decided to sign an almost entirely new squad for life in the Premier League and while it is easy to say now, it’s hardly a surprise that they have yet to properly settle.

LA Galaxy targeting Suarez

The Daily Mail reports that Luis Suarez is a target for MLS side LA Galaxy. They want the 35-year-old Uruguayan international, who is currently playing for Nacional in his home country. However his contract is up in November, and the Galaxy are ready to offer him wages of £6m a year in order to add him to their squad as a designated player.

Paper Round’s view: After leaving Atletico Madrid, the spell at Nacional will give Suarez the chance to play regularly in order to stay fit for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. When the tournament is over he will be free to move for nothing, and as he does not want to return to play in Europe again, MLS football is probably the best paying and easiest option out there.

Klopp missed out on Odegaard

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has explained how he missed out on signing Martin Odegaard when he was a teenager. As a 15-year-old, The Strømsgodset playmaker was looking to move on and many of the top European sides were after him, including Borussia Dortmund. However Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Klopp may have put him off by discussing the importance of school.

Paper Round’s view: Now 23, Odegaard might reflect back on his time at Real Madrid and wonder if a less peripatetic route to Arsenal might have done him some good. Time in Real’s B team was adequate, but he had four loan spells (one at the Emirates) before he made the permanent switch to play for Arsenal. A more settled life may have sped up his development.