‘Liverpool can get Haaland if they are Europe’s top team’ – Dortmund striker will only join the best, says Nicol

Liverpool will hope to be in the mix when Erling Haaland decides to make another move, says Steve Nicol, but the Reds must ensure that they remain a “very top team” in order to get a deal done.

The highly-rated Norwegian frontman was back among the goals on Saturday as Bundesliga action resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Another composed finish showed that the 19-year-old has lost none of his predatory instinct during an enforced break.

Haaland now has 41 goals for the 2019-20 campaign spread across productive spells at Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. His exploits are continuing to attract interest from clubs across Europe, with Manchester United and Real Madrid having held interest prior to his move to Germany in January.

They can be expected to form part of any future transfer scramble, but are unlikely to be the only suitors.

Nicol hopes that Premier League leaders Liverpool will be in a position to join the hunt, but accepts that the Reds will need to maintain their current standards in order to stand any chance of landing one of the hottest prospects in world football.

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He told ESPN FC: "In five years time we don't know who is going to be top of the tree. Whoever it is, that's the move for him because what he has shown us up until now is he looks like the real deal.

"He is like the heir to the throne of the best forward in the world and that means you play for the best team. Hopefully it is Liverpool in four or five years, I don't know if they can sustain what they are doing now. He will go to the very top team."

Haaland held talks with United regarding a move to England after seeing his stick rise in Salzburg. He turned down the chance to link up with fellow countryman Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford, with Nicol not overly surprised by that decision given the current state of the Red Devils.

The Scot added: "It would be great for Man Utd but I don't think it would be particularly great for Haaland. I think that's ultimately why he didn't go.

"If the situation at Manchester United had been 10 or 15 years ago where they were top of the league and in the Champions League then it would have been a tougher decision.

"I think where United are right now and where Haaland and Dortmund are, it was kind of the perfect fit. It was a smart move."