Dortmund star Haaland 'will land' at Liverpool, says RB Salzburg sporting director

Erling Haaland will eventually end up at Liverpool, according to the sporting director of his former club Red Bull Salzburg.

The Norwegian sensation left Salzburg for Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of 2020, and has scored 24 goals in his first 27 games for the club.

Haaland is hoping to challenge for the Bundesliga title with Dortmund but Salzburg chief Christoph Freund believes the striker will eventually take another step up the footballing ladder.

He appeared on Sky Sports alongside Germany legend Lothar Matthaus and, when Matthaus suggested Liverpool as a potential destination, Freund seemed to agree.

"That's where he will land," said Freund. "He can play for any club in the world. With his mentality, his will, with his self-confidence he can make a mark on European football in the next ten years."

Matthaus added: "Dortmund is one of the top 10 teams in Europe, but there are five or six better teams and that is where he will play at some point.

"I'm thinking of the top clubs; not necessarily Bayern Munich, because Robert Lewandowski will be playing for the next two or three years and Haaland will probably not stay in Dortmund that long."

Haaland announced himself to European football with 28 goals in 22 games in his first full season at Salzburg – and it would prove to be his only full season at the club.

However, Freund says this sort of situation is quite normal for a club of Salzburg’s standing.

“Erling was not a special story in this respect," Freund told Goal and SPOX. "That doesn't hurt us at all, it makes us proud because it's part of our concept.

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“The player can take the next step, we get income through a transfer, which we can invest in scouting and new talent, among other things.

“In addition, there is again a free place in the squad that the next talent can take. It is a confirmation for us that we are on the right path and that we are on the right path.”

Over the summer, fellow forward Hwang Hee-chan left Salzburg for RB Leipzig, but Freund says the connection between the clubs doesn’t mean Salzburg are forced to sell their star assets to Leipzig.

“No. We are an independent club and we make our own decisions.”