Borussia Dortmund face a fight to keep Erling Braut Haaland in the close-season with several elite clubs reportedly eyeing the Champions League record-breaking goalscorer.

Dortmund host Sevilla in the last-16, return-leg on March 9 holding a 3-2 lead after Haaland showcased his deadly finishing with two well-taken goals in the first leg.

The Norwegian became the first player to score 10 Champions League goals in just seven games for a single club.

The 20-year-old has scored eight goals in just five Champions League games this season in a staggering career tally of 18 goals in 13 European games for Dortmund and ex-club Red Bull Salzburg.

He tuned up for Sevilla with two early goals at Bayern Munich on March 6 before the club world champions fought back to claim a 4-2 win as Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick.

Despite coming off with a cut ankle at the Allianz Arena, Haaland is expected to be fit to face Sevilla.

He could break Kylian Mbappe’s record of 19 Champions League goals scored by a player before his 21st birthday.

His phenomenal record of 29 goals in 28 games this season in all competition has attracted the attention of Europe’s top clubs.

“Only a maximum of ten clubs can afford to buy him and give him the platform he wants after his time in Dortmund,” Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola said recently.

Real Madrid and Chelsea are reportedly at the head of a queue of clubs eager to buy Haaland out of his Dortmund contract, which expires in June 2024.

Release clause?

There is reportedly a release clause in his contract which applies from the summer of 2022 for around €105 million ($125 million).

Dortmund stand to make at least five times the €20 million they paid Salzburg for Haaland in January 2020.

According to German magazine Sport Bild, Haaland admires Real, who are seeking a replacement for Karim Benzema, 33, whose contract expires next year.

Manchester City, owned by Sheikh Mansour, have the financial clout to sign Haaland with their striker Sergio Aguero, 32, out of contract in June.

A move to the Etihad Stadium would see the Leeds-born striker follow in the footsteps of his father Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for City from 2000-2003.

Even club world champions Bayern have expressed interest in Haaland as a potential replacement for Lewandowski, who is 33 in August.

“Lots and lots of things are possible, you can’t rule anything out,” Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick said on March 6 when asked about signing Haaland.

“But that is something for the future. He has a long-term contract at Dortmund and a lot of clubs come into play.”

German daily Bild echoed Dortmund fans on March 7 by insisting “Under no circumstances should Haaland be sold this summer, even if a sheikh is waving €100 or 200 million.

“Haaland is Dortmund’s life insurance policy” as his goals often turn matches their way.

It could be that Haaland is not the only star to leave Dortmund this summer as England winger Jadon Sancho has long been targeted by Manchester United.

Like Haaland, fleet-footed Sancho has a market value of around €100 million.

According to website Sport1, Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel wants to buy both Haaland and Sancho having been given a budget of €260 million for new players by Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

At the weekend, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke optimistically told Sky he does not expect “crazy things to happen” on the transfer market this summer.

However Watzke could did not rule out losing either Haaland or Sancho if “extraordinary things happen”.

Europe’s top clubs are counting the cost of games played behind doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yet as Watzke pointed out, the elite clubs have wealthy owners who “find ways and means to pump money into them”.