Former Real Madrid star: signing Haaland means Mbappe's departure

Erling Haaland's name has long been tied to Real Madrid, especially before his switch to Manchester City, on the back of those blistering displays for Borussia Dortmund.

The snag? Madrid gambled everything on Kylian Mbappé, and that left precious little room for the Norwegian.

Fitting Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior into the same side has proved a puzzle. The last two seasons are the evidence.

For that very reason, former Real Madrid star Michael Owen doesn't see a Haaland signing as anything close to straightforward, barring a major sale.

The Defensa Central network ran Owen's comments from an interview with Skinradar, in which he said: "As long as Mbappé is there, I don't see them spending that amount to sign Haaland. There are already those who wonder whether Vinícius and Mbappé can play together, because Mbappé likes to play a little to the left side, and there are already questions about that."

"If the pairing is Mbappé and Haaland, then how will they play together?" he added. "Will you make Mbappé play on the left side? I think it will be one or the other, honestly. I don't think you can have two of the best out-and-out strikers in the world, Mbappé and Haaland, in the same team. Personally, I don't think they can be part of the same squad."

Owen went on: "I mean, it's about the cost, then trying to make that work, and for that to happen, I think Mbappé would be forced to leave. They tried the Galácticos idea many years ago, in my generation. Simply gathering the big players is not necessarily the perfect solution."

He signed off by insisting he still holds plenty of affection and admiration for the Spanish giants.