The number 9 of the Elephants, African champion during the last Ivorian CAN, has been lacking playing time since his arrival in Leganés. One of his old clubs makes eyes at him.
A surprising trajectory. While he made his mark during CAN 2023 by helping the Ivory Coast to win his third continental title, Sébastien Haller is going through a complicated period at club. At Borussia Dortmund, the Ivorian striker had lost the confidence of Edin Terzic, which pushed him to leave the Ruhr to join the promoted Spanish Leganés at the very end of the transfer window. A risky choice which, for the moment, has not paid off.
Since his arrival in La Liga, Haller has struggled to find his best level. In nine appearances, including only six starts, he has not scored a single goal. Worse still, the Ivorian remains in four matches without being fielded. “ My start to the season was strewn with pitfalls and did not correspond to what I hoped for, » he confided recently in an interview for Eurosport France about his nightmare start to the season. He also mentioned minor but frequent injuries which prevented him from settling permanently in the team. “ These setbacks happen every time in moments when I feel that I am returning to the physical plane,” he blurted out, quite disappointed.
Towards a return to the Eredivisie?
Faced with this observation of failure, the idea of breaking the loan this winter and of a new start is beginning to germinate. According to the daily German BildSébastien Haller would consider a return to FC Utrecht, where he stood out between 2015 and 2017. In the colors of the Dutch club, he had scored 51 goals and provided 16 assists in 98 matches, leaving a strong impression. This return to a familiar environment could allow him to regain confidence and a setting in which he had excelled.
Currently third in the Eredivisie, behind PSV Eindhoven and Ajax Amsterdam but ahead of Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar, Utrecht is having a solid season. The club could offer Haller a favorable context to get back on track. At 30, the Ivorian could try to breathe new life into a career which seems to have stalled in recent months.
For Haller, this potential return would represent much more than a sporting opportunity. After several years marked by ups and downs, a return to Utrecht would also be an opportunity to give new impetus to his career and regain a central role in a project that relies on his know-how.
