Erling Haaland makes big Chelsea Champions League claim ahead of summer transfer decision
Haaland makes Chelsea’s Champions league decision ahead summer transfer
According to latest reports Via Football London, Erling Haaland does not think Chelsea will retain their UEFA Champions League crown this season.
However, Chelsea won their second Champions League trophy after beating Manchester City in the final back in May of last year.
Thomas Tuchel has led his side out of the group stage, after coming second in the table, and his team will now take on Lille in the Round of 16 – with the first tie set to take place on February 22 at Stamford Bridge.
However, according to Haaland, Chelsea will be huge favourites to progress into the quarter-finals of the tournament, but they are not serious contenders to win the competition. He said.
The Borussia Dortmund striker, who looks set to leave the German club at the end of the season with interest from all around Europe, has tipped Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid to be lifting the trophy come the end of May.
When asked who he thinks will lift the Champions League trophy this season, Haaland told Sky Sports: “Manchester City, or Paris, or Madrid. Paris and Madrid will meet now, so one of these three.”
Chelsea of course held a strong interest in Haaland last summer, but the European champions eventually re-signed Romelu Lukaku in a deal worth almost £100million.
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed a few months ago that Chelsea do indeed hold an interest in Haaland, but a move last summer was deemed “unrealistic” by the west London club.
Speaking to SportBild in October, via the Daily Mail, he said: “We have talked about Haaland a couple of times also in the transfer window. It looked unrealistic and not possible to do.
“Of course we talk regularly about him because he is a fantastic player and a profile at Dortmund, which is a big rival for us in the Champions League.”