Sebastian Kehl: Borussia Dortmund could have earned twice as much for Erling Haaland sale if not for release clause

Sebastian Kehl believes that Borussia Dortmund could have earned double the transfer fee they received for Erling Haaland if not for his release clause.

After two and a half seasons of goals galore and record breaking success, Erling Haaland left Borussia Dortmund in 2022 when Manchester City activated the release clause in his contract. There has been plenty of speculation over the exact amount of the release clause, with the figure ranging between 60-75 million euros.

Haaland has been scoring goals for fun since his move to Manchester City, and led them to three trophies last season. And Sebastian Kehl has now said that Borussia Dortmund could have earned twice as much for his sale if there was no release clause in his contract.

During his appearance on Sport1-Doppelpass, the BVB sporting director said, "With Haaland, we could certainly have earned twice as much if he didn't have a release clause in his contract."

Kehl also admitted during the interview that Borussia Dortmund have not done a great job of reinvesting the money they have received from player sales in recent years. But he added that their aim remains to bring in talented youngsters and give them an opportunity to play on the biggest stage. "We're not in a position to bring in ready-made players. We have tried to invest in the squad. Some of the transfers haven't worked out for us. Nevertheless, we want to continue on our path of bringing in top talent."

Michael Zorc and Hans-Joachim Watzke had both stated in the past that it would have been impossible for Borussia Dortmund to sign Erling Haaland if they didn't agree to insert a release clause into his contract.