Liverpool would be able to re-gain the league title next season if they signed Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland in the summer, according to Peter Crouch.

The BT Sport pundit says he rates the Norwegian international so highly that, whichever Premier League club he ends up at, he would instantly make them favourites to finish top of the table:

“I will put it in these terms: if Manchester City buy him, they win the title next year. If Liverpool buy him, they win the title. If Manchester United buy him, they’ll be right there. My worry would be that if he ended up going to City, then everyone else would need to give up. He’s an incredible player and if you added him to a team that is already close to being the best in Europe, that would be it.”

It remains to be seen whether Dortmund will sanction Haaland’s sale. The Bundesliga club’s hands could be forced if they do fail to qualify for the Champions League but the competition for his signature means his price tag is likely to be significant.

There is a release clause in place which will enable the 20-year-old to leave Signal Iduna Park for €75m (£65m) but that only comes into effect in 2022. He is currently expected to fetch in excess of £100m, with the likes of City, United and Chelsea all believed to be interested.

Were Liverpool to fail to qualify for Europe, those sort of figures would be out of the club’s reach anyway so fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about Haaland moving to Anfield.