Erling Haaland makes big Chelsea Champions League claim ahead of summer transfer decision



Erling Haaland does not think Chelsea will retain their UEFA Champions League crown this season.

The Blues won their second-ever trophy in the famous European competition last term, 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.

Chelsea will be huge favourites to progress into the quarter-finals of the tournament, but they are not serious contenders to win the competition, according to Haaland.

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.

What has Tuchel said on Haaland?

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.”

What has Haaland said?

Haaland claimed earlier this month that Borussia Dortmund were pressuring the striker to make a definitive decision regarding his future, but the Norway international wants to “move on” from those comments.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I don’t really want to say too much about it (the comments), but I felt it was time for me to say something.

“A lot of others were speaking – so that was it. Now, I don’t want to say too much. I said what I said, and now we move on.”





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