Oliver Kahn reveals why Bayern Munich aren’t in race to sign Erling Haaland

Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn has insisted that the Bavarian club do not have the financial might to sign Erling Haaland this summer.

The Norwegian superstar is expected to leave Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, with his £63m release clause set to expire later this month.

Manchester City are continuing to explore the possibility of signing Haaland though are reluctant to trigger his release clause and pay a lump sum to Dortmund, though several of Europe’s elite are also in the race.

However, Kahn has told Sport 1 that Bayern will not be signing the striker as they do not have the financial muscle required to complete a deal.

“We wouldn’t be doing our job properly if we didn’t look at a young striker like him,” Kahn said.

“He’s an excellent forward, and a highly interesting player for the future. But the financial dimensions are beyond our imagination.”

Kahn also insisted that contract negotiations with current forward Robert Lewandowski are ongoing and that they are not as simple as depicted in video games.

“As of today, Robert has a contract with us. We’re currently in contact with him and we want him to stay at Bayern for as long as possible,” Kahn added.

“Some people seem to think it’s like an online manager game, where you click on something to extend the contract. Robert has become the world’s best footballer with us, scoring 30 to 40 goals every season. He has the potential to achieve that every season.

“Of course, players like that sometimes think about trying something else and it takes time to convince them. There are also financial aspects to consider, and as a club you have to think about how to manage that because FC Bayern have suffered from the pandemic in the last two years.”