VChief Executive Oliver Kahn considers a transfer from Borussia Dortmund’s young star Erling Haaland to FC Bayern Munich to be financially unfeasible. “We wouldn’t do our job well if we didn’t deal with a young striker,” admitted Kahn on Sunday in Sport1’s “double pass”. Haaland is also “a very excellent striker, and he’s also a very interesting player for the future.”
A package of transfer and salary for the 21-year-old Norwegian is “very, very far from what we imagine,” said Kahn. “These are financial dimensions that are beyond our imagination.” Haaland is primarily associated with a move to Manchester City for coach Pep Guardiola. The Norway international can leave Dortmund after this season thanks to a €75m release clause. In addition, high consultant payments are likely to be due.
Dortmund’s advisor Matthias Sammer spoke about speculation about a possible move by Haaland to Manchester City and the financial dimensions a good month ago. “I know City is behind. And it’s well known,” Sammer had said. “The numbers, I had whiplash, passed out. My wife picked me up again. (…) I can’t count that far.” Haaland’s contract with BVB actually runs until the summer of 2024.
“I’m very, very confident”
Meanwhile, Kahn wants Robert Lewandowski to stay at Bayern Munich for the long term and announced a quick agreement with Thomas Müller. “We want him to stay at Bayern Munich for as long as possible,” he said of star striker Lewandowski. The German record champion is in exchange with the world footballer. But at one point in his career after years of continuous success with FC Bayern, the Pole was concerned, Kahn noted.
The contract of the 33-year-old striker runs in Munich until the summer of 2023. Recently there was speculation about a premature departure from FC Barcelona. Kahn had ruled out an early change in the summer. According to club president Herbert Hainer, there was a first meeting with Lewandowski. According to his knowledge, a second conversation had been agreed, he said on the TV station “Bild”.
The contracts of Manuel Neuer (36), Serge Gnabry (26) and Thomas Müller (32) will also expire at the end of June 2023. According to his own statement, Kahn is “very, very confident that we can say something about it in the short term”. The club is in “very, very good contact” with Captain Neuer, reported the Munich CEO. Gnabry himself is in a “process of reflection”. According to Hainer, the new contracts for Müller and Neuer “probably look very good”.
Against the background of contract talks, Kahn also referred to the financial losses during the corona pandemic. “We have two very, very difficult years behind us,” he admitted. Despite the surprising end of the Champions League, the boss showed a clear edge about the future of coach Julian Nagelsmann: “We are totally convinced of Julian, he knows what is important to us and we are going on this path with full conviction,” said Kahn, his After the early cup exit in Gladbach, the club “only” has the tenth German championship in a row.
Kahn wants to examine possible steps after death threats against Nagelsmann. “Borders are now being exceeded here,” criticized the former world-class goalkeeper. “What happens to people who would send death threats to other people out of anonymity”, Kahn wanted to know with a view to the social networks and announced: “We will now also think about whether we can put a stop to it and must.” Kahn did not reveal any details.
Nagelsmann had reported receiving 450 death threats on Instagram after the Champions League end with FC Bayern. “Of course you can show all that, but then I won’t be able to finish it,” said the Bayern coach. “It’s unbelievable and absolutely intolerable,” said Hainer about the death threats.
For Kahn, his role as CEO at FC Bayern has “relatively little to do with volume”. In his understanding, it is also not part of the profile of this post to “constantly produce any headlines,” as he explained. There is also a lot of sport-political work “that you also do internally”. After an induction phase, the former world-class goalkeeper took over as CEO of FC Bayern from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in the summer of 2021.
“I have a very good feeling when I’m of the opinion, now I have to go forward, now I have to take a position on one or the other,” explained Kahn, who has always been associated with the former Bayern greats Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß is compared. In public this season, Kahn’s handling of issues such as the vaccination status of national player Joshua Kimmich or Qatar sponsorship at the annual general meeting was discussed. “I’m not the non-fallible one,” Kahn said. “Of course you first have to develop a certain feeling, where do I express myself, where do I hold back a bit.” In the meantime, however, it was “relatively clear” to him, said the 52-year-old.
