Joe Cole urges Chelsea to sign £90m Erling Haaland as he insists striker is all the Blues need to bring back ‘the glory days’ and start challenging for the Premier League title again – with £53m No 9 Timo Werner still struggling
Joe Cole claims Chelsea need to bring in Erling Braut Haaland to start challenging for the Premier League title once again.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed this week that the Blues are one of three European giants chasing the Borussia Dortmund striker along with Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were held to a 0-0 draw at Leeds on Saturday lunchtime and former Chelsea midfielder Cole believes £90m-rated Haaland is the only addition they need to their squad to become title challengers.
Joe Cole claims Erling Braut Haaland (above) would bring back the glory days at Chelsea again
Cole (above) believes the 20-year-old is all Chelsea need to challenge for the title once more
Cole told BT Sport: ‘They need one player for me, Haaland. He’s on the wish-list.
‘He’s a No9. There’s so much in this squad, there’s quality in all areas, such a strong squad.
‘You just need that one sparkle of magic, that No9, that focal point. It will change this club getting back to the glory days of challenging for the title regularly.’
Haaland has been in imperious form for Dortmund this season with 31 goals in 29 matches in all competitions for the German giants.
Sportsmail revealed Haaland, who has 31 goals so far this term, is wanted by Chelsea this year
That goalscoring total includes 19 goals in 19 Bundesliga matches, while the Norwegian also added a brace in both legs of Dortmund’s recent Champions League last-16 victory over Sevilla.
Haaland has a £90million buy-out clause but that has to be paid in one instalment and Chelsea certainly have the financial resources to accomplish such a move.
The Blues signed Bundesliga striker Timo Werner from Dortmund’s Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig last summer for £47.5million while Kai Havertz also arrived from Germany in a £89m deal.
The Blues were held to a 0-0 draw at Leeds with Timo Werner (left) not on the scoresheet again
Kai Havertz (above) has also struggled since his £89million move from the Bundesliga
But the German pair have just six Premier League goals between them so far this season and have been rotated out of Thomas Tuchel’s side along with Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham.
And Sportsmail understands Chelsea’s domestic rivals Manchester City have already made initial contact with Haaland’s representatives. The striker’s father, Alf Inge, spent three years at City before a serious knee injury cut his playing career short.
Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Dortmund’s biggest star but the Red Devils unlikely to fork out the £90m required to sign Haaland.
A move to Old Trafford would reunite the 20-year-old with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who worked with Haaland while he was manager of Molde.