Manchester United lead race for £64m star, will also battle Chelsea for midfielder

Manchester United have been pegged as favourites to sign Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Braut Haaland next summer, with the striker set to remain with the Bundesliga club this season. The Red Devils are also expected to enter the market yet again if Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez becomes available.

The Norwegian striker is likely to be the most in-demand player next summer, after Dortmund made it clear that he will not be leaving the club this month. Any interested club would have had to stump upwards of £150 million to sign Haaland, who has been prolific since joining the German outfit.

The 21-year-old, according to German publication Bild, is certain to leave Dortmund next year when his release clause kicks in. The Bundesliga club will be powerless to stop him owing to the €75 million (£64.1m) exit clause, which can be triggered by any interested club in 2022.

There is likely to be a queue of top clubs willing to meet his valuation and United are said to be in "pole position" to land the Norway international. The Premier League big guns will have an advantage in their pursuit owing to the striker already having played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during their time together at Molde FK.

The likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are all expected to be part of the race. The German champions could lose Robert Lewandowski and Haaland will be the perfect replacement for the Polish marksman.

Coming back to this summer's transfer market, according to the Guardian, United could yet get busy in the final week with Solskjaer still looking to add a midfielder to the squad. The 20-time English champions have been linked with a move for Rennes' Eduardo Camavinga, but could also enter the race for Atletico's Niguez, who is wanted by Chelsea.

The Spain international has been a vital part of Diego Simeone's side since coming up through the ranks with Atletico. He played a vital role in helping them win the La Liga title last season, but has now been made available for transfer with the player also seeking a new challenge.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel wants to add depth to his midfield to provide Jorginho cover after the manager admitted to overusing him at the end of last season. However, they could face competition from United, who are also keen to strengthen their midfield.

Saul's arrival, though, is contingent on both teams being able to offload players in the coming days. Chelsea have Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley and Tiémoué Bakayoko, while United are also well stocked in midfield, which has to be trimmed before an addition can be made.