Hans Joachim Watzke confident of long-term Erling Haaland stay at Borussia Dortmund

Hans Joachim Watzke has denied claims that Erling Haaland’s contract has a release clause which will allow him to leave Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

In an interview with SportBILD, Hans Joachim Watzke said that Borussia Dortmund want to keep Erling Haaland at the club for the long-term. And the BVB CEO is confident that they can convince the striker and his agent (Mino Raiola) to stay on. Watzke also denied that Haaland can leave the club next summer due to a release clause in his contract.

"“There is no such agreement,” Watzke said. “We have a clear wish that Erling will stay with us for a longer time and we want to convince him and his agent of this. I’m quite confident we can do so. I believe that Erling feels very comfortable at BVB. He definitely made the right move last winter by switching to us. I personally think that taking the next step after such a short time would be the wrong decision.”"

Haaland only joined Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzrurg in January, but his incredible performances have seen him attract the interest of a number of big clubs. The Norwegian international has scored 24 goals in 27 appearances for the Black and Yellows, and the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United have been linked with his signature in recent months. The 20 year old has four years remaining on his contract, which expires at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Watzke also spoke about the future of Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre, whose contract expires at the end of the season. The 61 year old said that the two parties have agreed to hold talks in the new year to discuss the Swiss trainer’s future beyond the current campaign.

Marco Rose, Julian Nagelsmann and Jesse Marsch have been linked as possible replacements to Lucien Favre in recent weeks. While Watzke did not want to comment on the rumours, he did praise the trio as “excellent coaches – just like Lucien Favre and Hansi Flick.”