Liverpool urged to sign Erling Haaland instead of Kylian Mbappe

According to Empire of the Kop (h/t Daily Star), former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has urged the club to sign Erling Haaland instead of Kylian Mbappe. He thinks that the PSG star will be too expensive for the Reds to pursue.

Both Mbappe and Haaland reaffirmed their position as two of the game’s best upcoming talents with their display in the first leg of the Champions League against Barcelona and Sevilla respectively. Also, the duo has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent times.

Dortmund’s Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland gestures during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Borussia Dortmund and DSC Arminia Bielefeld in Dortmund, western Germany, on February 27, 2021. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)

Mbappe’s contract ends in 2022 at PSG and the club could be willing to let go of him this year. However, a price tag of £200m has been placed on the World Cup winner which makes it almost impossible for any club to splash that kind of cash on him, especially in the pandemic affected economy.

Haaland, on the other hand, is a much more realistic option due to his value and Borussia Dortmund’s cash requirements. His contract may end in 2024 but he has a release clause of €75m that activates in 2022. That could prompt Dortmund to cash in on him this summer to get a higher transfer fee.

Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a move to Liverpool. (GETTY Images)

Jose Enrique believes that Haaland is much more realistic and possible a signing for Liverpool.

“My choice is Erling Haaland. We can rule out Kylian Mbappe – he’ll be too expensive. But I think Haaland is possible. He’s so good in the air – he’s a beast. Can you imagine Trent and Robbo crossing balls into the box for Haaland? Wow!

“They would get another 20 assists each per season. He’d be another dimension for us and is the kind of player we should be going for. Haaland might cost £100m, but we spent £75m on Van Dijk and that’s what it takes. You can guarantee City will spend £100m-odd on the striker who replaced Aguero. If you think about it, the only one of our forwards who’s good in the air is Mane – so a striker like Haaland would be my priority this summer.”

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It remains to be seen if Liverpool do go ahead and sign either of the forwards. Cash is in short supply for most sides and spending that amount on a player looks rather difficult. However, given the impact Haaland has had so far, the Reds could benefit from heeding Enrique’s advice.