If Sancho is Worth 120m, Then How Much is Haaland and Where Does he Go?

Borussia Dortmund have priced England superstar Jadon Sancho at £120m, as Manchester United know all too well. For a talented youngster, this would be astronomical. But for one of the world’s very best in his position at just 20 years old, it may just be the perfect sum of money for a man who has 94 goal contributions in 119 games for Dortmund, three months before his 21st birthday.

Sancho’s future remains unclear, so where will he go? Rumours will continue on his link with United, but after a summer of awkward and seemingly tense interactions between BVB and the Red Devils, this could well fall through again.

On the other hand of Dortmund’s exceptional young talent is Erling Haaland, who may also look to leave Dortmund a year after signing from RB Salzburg. It’s pretty well-known that Haaland will not stay with the German club for much longer, given how they are historically a selling club, whilst the Norwegian, clearly, has the potential to win anything out there.

So, we ask the question: if Sancho is worth 120m, how much is Haaland and where does he go? Let's take an in-depth look.

Since bursting onto the scene at RB Salzburg in 2019, Haaland has become arguably the most talked-about under 21 player in world football. The striker famously netted eight goals in six Champions League games and 16 goals in 14 games in the Austrian Bundesliga for Salzburg in 2019, as the youngster began to outscore everyone on the continent.

Talks would continue daily or his next move, but for a fee of around €20m, Haaland would choose Dortmund as his next step in what could be a record-breaking, illustrious career. The move stunned a few, but in reality, as proven by his goalscoring record, it was clearly a wise move. Midway through the January window, the 20-year-old now has 35 goals in 34 games for the German giants, including 12 goals in 10 Bundesliga games this season and six goals in four Champions League games.

The choice to join Dortmund is now seen as just another stepping stone before making it with the tiny elite bracket of clubs that win trophies year in, year out. Clubs such as Juventus, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid are all going to be tracking down the goalscoring phenom at the first given chance, and, it is expected that Haaland will move on from BVB within the next few seasons.

In truth, simply put, a man of his calibre at such an age cannot fail to win trophies, and with Bayern Munich constantly beating Dortmund to titles, staying in Germany is unlikely, given his allegiance to the Yellow Wall.

So, if he is the same age as Sancho and racking up more goals, just how much is Haaland worth for whatever club that could possibly afford such a potential spine-tingling fee? Well, according to the CIES Football Observatory, Haaland was estimated to be worth €120m at the end of October, but after nine goals in five games in November, his value saw a further increase of €35m.

In January, Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford has taken over Haaland in the number one spot, as he is priced at €203m, which moved Haaland down to second in the most valued rankings at a stunning price of €186m.

Since joining Borussia Dortmund back in 2017 for a reported £7m, Sancho has made his mark on the footballing world. The youngster scored 17 goals for the Bundesliga side to assist them in finishing second in the 2019/20 season and with now 94 goal contributions in 119 games, at 20 years old, there are not many more influential players under the age of 25 in world football.

Despite a “very difficult” season – as Sancho said himself – he still remains not just one of the most exciting young wingers in Europe, but perhaps the very best on the right side. As well documented, United attempted to lure the 20-year-old in the summer transfer window, just before the 2020/21 season commenced, and after months of price negotiations, the Red Devils decided against the huge £120m asking price.

Sancho has, however, been struggling to find the back of the net this season, scoring his first goal in January, having failed to find himself a goal in his previous 25 attempts on goal. United have performed astoundingly well so far this season without Sancho, but with Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood both struggling in front of goal, it's clear the Dortmund man is still needed to really establish United as title winners.

United have been tracking Sancho for what it seems, around pretty much the point he left rivals Manchester City. With all attempts ending in loose ends, they haven’t given up hope just yet, especially with the reports Dortmund are willing to sell the winger this year after obtaining his services for one more season this year.

It does seem this simple: United pay the asking price or nothing happens. However, the likes of Chelsea - who themselves spent just short of €250m last summer - could go in for Sancho and cause some serious trouble for United in what may be a very, very tense bidding war.

As alluded to, Haaland's time at Dortmund isn't coming to an end like Sancho's seemingly is, but the Norwegian will surely move on before he turns 23 in three years time, as he may just be too good for a club that normally settles for second.

Last January, before joining Dortmund, the striker could have joined United from Salzburg, but, as was the case with Sancho, the club pulled out once more. Manager Solskjaer previously managed Haaland at Molde, but United were supposedly put off by agent fees involved in the deal.

Dortmund then bought the player for £18m – a deal that has transformed into one of the best bargains in transfer history. And, with Sergio Aguero likely leaving Manchester City, Haaland would be a very good long-term replacement for City's all-time top scorer.

With the addition of his father Alf-Inge being a former City player, the side may look to entice the 20-year-old by using this to their advantage. City will have to be prepared to splash the cash, with a price tag likely to exceed £150m, with the potential for that to be even more.

It should be noted that Haaland’s current deal runs until the summer of 2024, so in hindsight, Dortmund do not need or have no obligation to sell, and they can keep just allowing the goals to go in and his market value to increase.

However, it does seem there are very few who can actually afford him, and with his father a former City player, whilst Aguero has one foot out the door, it really does seem the pages are aligning for Haaland to join City for what could be a fee closer to £200m than Sancho's £100m.