Scouts and agents from 15 Premier League clubs were present to watch 19-year-old striker Erling Håland star for Salzburg against Genk in the Champions League on Tuesday.
In what was his debut in the competition, Håland netted a first-half hat-trick to fire his side to a dominant 6-2 victory - taking his tally to a ludicrous 17 goals in just nine appearances this season.
Hat-trick hero! Erling Braut Håland becomes the 8th player to score a treble on his #UCL debut ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/A0ZVqNRuWX
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2019
Understandably, that form has piqued the interest of sides across Europe, and 90min understands that representatives for 15 Premier League sides were in the stands to see Håland.
Some sent scouts, whilst other sent agents to evaluate the teenager's performance. Whilst it remains unclear which teams didn't have representatives present, sending agents usually indicates that a team is seriously interested in a deal - meaning there are plenty of suitors for the Norwegian.
Both Chelsea and Manchester City are thought to be incredibly keen on signing Håland but, as it stands, it is Borussia Dortmund who are leading the race for his signature. The obvious link with Manchester United - given Håland has worked with Ole Gunnar Solskjær before - will also persist in the coming weeks.
It seems just a matter of time before Håland - who is the son of former Leeds United striker Alf-Inge Håland - makes the move away from Austria.
He only made move to Salzburg in January after agreeing a departure from Solskjær's Molde in the previous summer, but has already established himself as one of the top prospects in world football.
The 19-year-old certainly has the attributes to make him a success. Standing at 6'4, Håland is powerful and also deceptively quick. His finishing has also not gone unnoticed given his recent goalscoring exploits.
🗣️ Erling #Haaland: This is the craziest thing I've ever done in my life. #FCSGNK pic.twitter.com/4scMi0GOP7
— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) September 17, 2019
Håland bagged a ludicrous nine goals in one game for Norway Under-20s against Honduras at the Under-20 World Cup during the summer, and has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Source : 90min