Haaland and Odegaard could have joined Sporting for... €3.5 million | OneFootball

Erling Haaland came very close to joining Sporting even before establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in world football. In 2018, when he was just 17 and playing for Molde, the Norwegian striker was flagged by the Lions, but the transfer ultimately did not go through.

The striker’s name reached Sporting’s hierarchy through Tomás Pereira, the club’s former scout for the Scandinavian region. The scout identified the young forward’s potential shortly after his move from Bryne to Molde and recommended signing him for the first team, believing the player had what it took to reach an elite level.

Despite the positive assessment, Sporting’s officials decided not to move forward with the deal. At the time, the fee requested by the Nordic club was around €2.5 million, an amount considered too high by Sporting, which was going through a period of major instability following the events in Alcochete.

Tomás Pereira again urged the club’s hierarchy to reconsider, reinforcing his belief that Erling Haaland represented a unique market opportunity. However, the former scout later acknowledged that it is common for recruitment departments to put forward dozens of names and that not all recommendations end up becoming signings.

Erling Haaland’s case was not the only example of talent identified by Tomás Pereira. The former scout also suggested the signing of Martin Odegaard, at a time when the Norwegian midfielder could have been signed for around €1 million, but that deal never materialized either. The duo are now shining at the World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.