Rangnick explains why RB Leipzig didn’t sign Erling Haaland

Ralf Rangnick revealed RB Leipzig rebuffed an attempt to sign Erling Haaland last January because they couldn’t offer him a first-team spot.

Haaland emerged as one of Europe’s most talented youngsters last year following a stunning start with Leipzig’s sister club RB Salzburg; scoring 29 goals in just 27 appearances.

His exploits in the Champions League were particularly eye-catching, as the striker scored eight goals in Salzburg’s six group-stage games. This naturally led to widespread interest amongst a host of top European clubs. Among them were Leipzig, Manchester United and Juventus.

But Borussia Dortmund won the race instead by signing Haaland in January 2020 for a €20m fee. The 20-year-old has since proved his money’s worth at Signal Iduna Park, bagging 18 goals in his opening 21 matches.

One key factor that led Haaland to favor BVB over the rest of his suitors was their willingness to play him right from the offset, which is something Leipzig couldn’t offer.

Former Leipzig sporting director Rangnick told MDR: “From everything I know about him and his father, the main reason he moved there was that Dortmund could guarantee him a regular place,”

“That wasn’t so difficult because they didn’t have a central striker apart from Paco Alcacer, who is half the size of Haaland and gets injured quickly and regularly.

“It was a great shame that he is the first player that RB Leipzig, since reaching the Bundesliga, have missed out on from Salzburg. What a shame it is for Leipzig, he would have suited us, our team and our style of play.”