Barça keeping a close eye on Salzburg sensation Erling Braut Håland | OneFootball

After netting a hat-trick on his Champions League debut in mid-week, it was only a matter of time before the Erling Braut Håland transfer rumours started rolling in.

Håland announced himself to the world by netting three times in the first half of FC Salzburg’s 6-2 win over Genk on Tuesday and looks like being one to watch in the coming weeks and months.

But his performance probably came as no surprise to Barcelona’s scouting department.

According to a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo on Thursday, Barça sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old Norwegian during the U20 World Cup in this summer, where he scored nine (yep, you read that right, nine!) goals in a 12-0 victory over Honduras.

Håland was born in Leeds and is the son of former Leeds United and Manchester City midfielder Alf-Inge Håland.

He stands at 1.94m tall but is quick, creative and great at finishing for a boy of his size.

Barcelona may be the first European giant to have been linked with a swoop for the youngster, but they definitely won’t be the last.