Now, we’re not in the dream-crushing business here but if any Leeds United supporters are hanging on to the hope that Erling Haaland will one day return to West Yorkshire and follow in his father’s footsteps, well, lets just say don’t hold your breath.
In fact, there’s only two ways the ‘Haaland to Leeds’ dream can become reality.
Either, one of the hottest strikers on the planet endures a fall from grace as dramatic as Chelsea-era Fernando Torres or Andrea Radrizzani uses his extensive contact book to find an investor willing to give Leeds the sort of financial firepower usually associated with a Champions League regular.
But while the Yorkshire-born Haaland may not be joining his home-town club any time soon, there is a chance another baby-faced Norwegian could be strutting his stuff under Marcelo Bielsa in the near future.
Can Jens Petter Hauge finally join Leeds United?
According to The Athletic, Leeds were looking to sign Jens Petter Hauge, a little-known winger at Norwegian league winners Bodo/Glimt, last summer.
Those hopes died, however, as soon as AC Milan muscled in and offered £4 million for a fleet-footed winger who played his way on to the Rossoneri radar with a goal and an assist in a Europa League qualification clash in September 2020.
He moved to the San Siro days later.
And, for a while at least, Hauge looked like a sparkling diamond in a treasure trove of young talent under Stefano Pioli. A pair of stunning solo goals against Celtic and Sparta Prague felt distinctly Messi-esque, although Milan legend Carlo Pellegatti felt a more fitting comparison was with a Tottenham Hotspur superstar.
“For the way he moves and for the goals he scores, he resembles Son (Heung-min) of Tottenham, one of the ten best players in the world today,” Pellegatti told TMW.
But as Milan fell away, dropping out of the title race and losing to Manchester United in Europe, Hauge’s form reflected that of his team.
The winger played just 16 minutes in Milan’s final 11 Serie A matches and, according to reports, the 21-year-old will be sold if a bid of £13 million arrives.
A second chance for Leeds? Absolutely. One they should seize in an instant, even if Hauge currently lacks the consistency to back up his talent? Most definitely.
Pioli may have ran out of patience with Hauge but no-one would expect Marcelo Bielsa to do the same.
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