Roman Abramovich has approved Chelsea’s push to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland this summer, according to reports in Germany.
The 20-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the best young forwards in Europe and has attracted interest from several clubs across the continent.
Haaland has scored 43 goals in 43 games since joining Borussia Dortmund but the Bundesliga club run the risk of losing the striker at the end of the season if they miss out on a Champions League place.
Manchester United came close to signing Haaland before he opted to join Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg.
And it’s understood that United have maintained their interest in the Norway international, who has already played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde.
But according to Bild, Chelsea are ready to rival United with Abramovich personally approving the club’s efforts to sign the striker.
The report claims that Thomas Tuchel has received approval from Chelsea’s owner and the Premier League club are ready to make their move this summer.
Dortmund, however, are in a strong negotiating position as Haaland’s contract runs until 2024 and the striker is currently valued at €110 million (£95m).
Speaking earlier this week, Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, claimed only 10 clubs in the world, including four Premier League sides, could afford a deal for the Dortmund striker.
‘He will be one of the future stars of the next decade because we see that stars such as Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo and Messi are coming to an age where everyone asks themselves: ‘How long can we still enjoy them?’ So everyone is looking for the new generation,’ Raiola told the BBC.
‘Only a maximum of 10 clubs can afford to buy [Haaland] and give the platform you would like after you’ve been in Dortmund… and four of those clubs are in [England].’
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