'Difficult' Haaland transfer admission made by Borussia Dortmund amid Real Madrid and Manchester United talk

Keeping Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund in 2022 "will be difficult" concedes club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, but the Bundesliga outfit are not giving up hope of repelling interest from Real Madrid and Manchester United.

A big-money move for the prolific Norwegian striker is expected, with his exploits in German football attracting admiration from leading sides across Europe.

Dortmund are aware retaining the services of a prized asset is going to be tough, but Watzke says there is no guarantee the 21-year-old will be lured to pastures new.

What has been said?

The Dortmund chief told Welt am Sonntag of Haaland and the chances of keeping him at Signal Iduna Park: "Of course it will be difficult. I am not saying, however, that it is completely out of the question. We'll do everything we can to keep our top players loyal to us in the future."

What happens if Haaland does leave?

Haaland was among the goals once again in his latest outing for Dortmund, with a brace in the 4-2 victory over Union Berlin. He now has 68 efforts to his name in just 67 appearances for the club.

If Haaland were to move on, then replacing him would be a near impossible task. Dortmund do however boast a rich history when it comes to top striking talent, with Haaland following in the footsteps of Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Watzke is confident that they can strike gold again if forced back into the market for another goal-getter, saying: "We have to have the self-confidence to say we'll find a new top striker again."