Erling Haaland has developed into one of the deadliest attackers in the world at Manchester City but his career could have been very different according to former Juventus CEO Guiseppe Marotta.
Haaland’s rise to prominence in his native Norway caught the eye of major clubs across Europe, as he progressed through the youth ranks at Molde, before joining RB Salzburg in 2019.
His reputation for incredible goal scoring had teams on red alert, as Borussia Dortmund won the race to sign him, ahead of Real Madrid in 2020.
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After scoring a ridiculous 86 goals in 89 games in Dortmund his path looked set for either Manchester or Madrid and he opted for the former.
However, despite his eventual decision to join Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions, Marotta revealed he was close to bringing him to Italy during his time in Turin.
“It’s true, he was suggested to us when he was still in Norway. He was only 15 years old and we invited him to Juventus vs. Inter. We were very close, then some red tape issues got in the way”, he told an interview with Sky Sport Italia via Tuttosport.
Marotta’s comments shine a light on just how fierce the battle was to sign Haaland even before his first-team debut with Molde.
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The 67-year-old, who swapped the top job at Juventus for the same role at Inter Milan in 2018, was speaking ahead of the Serie A champions 0-0 UEFA Champions League draw at City.
Haaland was shackled by Inter veteran Francesco Acerbi in the first competitive game he has failed to score this season
