Real Madrid legend Luis Figo has admitted that the club missed a trick by not signing Erling Braut Haaland during the January transfer window.
Haaland burst onto the scene with Red Bull Salzburg earlier this season, scoring 28 goals in 22 games before securing a January switch to Borussia Dortmund despite interest from Madrid and Manchester United.
The 19-year-old has since continued his prolific form in Germany with 12 goals in 11 outings for his new club, and Figo believes that Madrid would have to pay substantially more to sign him now than they would have earlier this year.
"He's an expensive player now. He has scored a lot of goals and he looks set for big things," Figo told Movistar+.
"But Real Madrid should have signed him before he went to Dortmund. That's scouting!"
Haaland has scored 40 goals in just 33 games overall this season, while the release clause in his Dortmund contract will reportedly not come into effect until 2022.
Barney Corkhill
