Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has revealed that the Bundesliga club held talks with Erling Haaland prior to the striker’s move to Manchester City.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker swapped Germany for England for a reported fee of £51 million (€60 million) in one of the most significant deals of the current transfer window.
Bayern, like Dortmund, lost their talismanic center-forward this transfer window, with Robert Lewandowski joining Barcelona.
And, according to sporting director Salihamidzic, the club held talks with Haaland about a potential move for the 22-year-old, whom he does not blame for choosing “something that he thinks is better for him.”
In an interview with Bild, Salihamidzic stated: “We had some debates. We had ideas that could be implemented for us. It didn’t work out in the end for a variety of reasons.”
Bayern Munich has also been linked with a move for Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo, amid reports that the Portugal captain wants to leave Old Trafford.
A deal, according to Salihamidzic, is “out of the question.”
“When you see how our attack is occupied now, even without Robert Lewandowski, it is simply difficult from both a sporting and financial standpoint,” he added.
“There are eight players for each of the four positions. We have seasoned top players who are at the peak of their careers.”
Salihamidzic also believes mistakes were made in the handling of the negotiations that led to David Alaba’s departure to Real Madrid, and admits he wishes he could go back in time.
The defender’s 12-year contract with the Bavarian giants expired at the end of the 2020-21 season after the club failed to reach an agreement with the Austria international on a new contract.
“The supervisory board was concerned about entering into extraordinary contracts at this time,” Salihamidzic explained. “We still wanted to save face and express our gratitude to David.
“We truly attempted everything. We were desperate to keep David. But, it must be said, it was a trying time.
“In retrospect, I’m not sure I’d do it again with such a deserving player.”