Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has sent a transfer warning to any potential Erling Haaland suitors.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for the striker, who is said to be top of their shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Blues spent big money last summer, racking up a total of more than £200million, but Roman Abramovich is still said to be keen to strengthen again this summer, putting together a war chest for Marina Granovskaia and new boss Thomas Tuchel.
As part of that, the Blues are said to be hell-bent on landing Haaland ahead of the Norwegian's £68million release clause coming into play next year when there will almost certainly be a scramble between a whole host of clubs.
This season, at more than £100million, competition could be more limited, though Chelsea certainly aren't the only club capable of pulling off a deal with Manchester United also said to be very interested.
But both clubs might be facing an uphill battle with Dortmund chief Zorc warning the striker could yet stay having only joined the club in January of 2020.
“It is clear that Erling Haaland cannot, does not want to, and will not switch to just any other club after his time at Borussia Dortmund," he said in a press conference.
“We are very happy that we have Erling here. We continue planning with him. I don’t think he feels uncomfortable at Dortmund. We assume that we will achieve our goal of qualifying for the Champions League in the end.”
Dortmund, however, are outside the Champions League places in Bundesliga, currently sitting sixth and six points off Eintracht Frankfurt in fourth.
Whether they manage to finish fourth could be a decisive factor in whether Haaland sticks around, and ultimately, it could come down to whether another club offers a fee they cannot refuse, keeping in mind the Bundesliga club are almost guaranteed to lose him for £68million in the summer of 2022.
