Erling Haaland will not be leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer, says fellow Norwegian Jan Age Fjortoft, with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid warned they are going to have to be patient in any pursuit of the teenage sensation.
At 19 years of age, the Norway international has become one of the most talked about talents on the planet.
His efforts in the group stage of the 2019-20 Champions League while on the books of Red Bull Salzburg saw his stock rise considerably – along with interest in snapping up his potential.
A record-setting start has since been made to a spell at Dortmund, with the Bundesliga giants having won the race for a much sought-after signature.
It is already being suggested that another move could be on the cards for Haaland, with big-spending sides in the Premier League and La Liga prepared to invest heavily in his talent.
Fjortoft, though, cannot see Haaland heading the same way as current Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, with a hot prospect aware that he has found the perfect surroundings for his ongoing development.
The ex-Norway striker told talkSPORT: “This is a club that sold Dembele to Barcelona for €100m, but I can’t see that happening [with Haaland].
“I don’t have all the contract details, he has a clause of €75m but I don’t think that will be in the first year, so there won’t be a chance of that.
“I think it would be wise for him [to stay]. He’s 19 and I’m glad Erling Haaland today wakes up in Dortmund.
“It’s better to wake up in Dortmund than in Manchester, Liverpool, Torino, Barcelona or Madrid if you’re a 19-year-old shooting star.
“What I like about Team Haaland, the son of a former Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Manchester City player, is the key for them is development and everything else is a consequence of that.
“All his career he has been developing. From playing for his home town club and then to the best developer of talent in Norway, Molde. Then he went to Salzburg, he could have gone to a big club then [he could have joined Juventus] and he could have this time as well, but he’s at Dortmund.
“Dortmund are not a small club, by the way, but they’re well known for developing players to the next level. He’s always done that and it was just enormous what he did against PSG.
“He’s always looking to improve himself and I can see in his game there are things he can do better. He’s 6ft 4in and he can still win more headers, he can keep the ball better, Dortmund can take more advantage of his fantastic way of creating space for himself.
“I’m surprised he’s scored so many goals, but I’m not surprised that he’s taken the next level.
“Can he become the best Norwegian player ever? He certainly has the potential.
“He’s just getting better and better. We’re amazed that he’s developed so quickly.”
Haaland, who bagged a brace against Paris Saint-Germain on his most recent appearance, has netted 11 times in seven outings for his new club and is up to 39 goals for the season as a whole.