Chelsea considered signing incoming Manchester City striker Erling Haaland but scouts raised concerns over his playing style, according to reports.
The player will move to the Etihad in the summer after the Premier League side announced they had reached an agreement in principle with Dortmund, with City having agreed to pay his bargain release clause.
A number of European giants had looked into signing Haaland, including Real Madrid and Barcelona as well as City’s fierce rivals Man United.
Chelsea were also interested and had explored a deal last summer before signing Romelu Lukaku, though Dortmund were adamant he would not be sold having lost Jadon Sancho that window.
Now ESPN claim the Blues were reluctant to join the race to sign Haaland this time around with the club’s scouts having suggested he might struggle to adapt in England.
There was a feeling that Haaland benefited from the space he is afforded to run into in the Bundesliga, something he would be starved of in the Premier League.
Bundesliga defences typically play with higher defensive lines whereas teams set up much deeper in the Premier League – particularly when playing against clubs like City and Chelsea who dominate the ball.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were not the only club to have reservations about committing so much money to sign Haaland; although the release clause is only £51m, the total outlay is closer to nine figures when the signing fee, agents’ fee and bonuses are added.
ESPN‘s report also claims Barcelona had their reservations about signing Haaland, though rather than having concerns about his style they felt his personality and character could be a major problem.
Real Madrid, likewise, were concerned by his injury record – he has missed some games this campaign with various muscle issues – though were still pursuing his signature up until February.
