ULLEVAAL STADION (Nettavisen): The former Bodø / Glimt defender signed for Hertha Berlin in Germany in January 2022 after several good seasons in Elite. The 24-year-old traveled to the Bundesliga to make his way into the squad of the big German club, which was struggling a lot in the national league at the time.
After the usable playing time at the start, it gradually became more difficult for Bjørkan, who eventually ended up with nine games, most of them as a substitute.
Already in the summer window, Bjørkan chose to try his luck on loan at Feyenoord in search of more time to play, but the situation has not improved significantly in the Dutch big club.
In the Netherlands, Bjørkan also struggled with playing time and there was only one appearance this fall.
Before the private international matches against Ireland and Finland, Solbakken nevertheless found a place as a left-back in the squad. At the same time, he sent a clear message about the future of the 24-year-old’s club.
– He will change clubs in January, says Solbakken almost firmly to Nettavisen.
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– Gives the benefit of the doubt
– This is really why he is here now, because I see enormous potential in him. I think he has been very good every time he has been with us with a fairly limited playing time, he explains further and explains why the defender is in the squad.
– So he gets the benefit of the doubt because there are strong signs from all sides that he will change clubs in January, probably also from the club he is in, he says of the situation.
Nettavisen sought a comment from Bjørkan’s agent Atta Aneke on the club’s future. It was not available.
As always, Solbakken keeps an eye on the situation of Norwegian players in the clubs and has learned that Feyenoord preferred the other players and that Bjørkan finished third in the queue for the role of left back.
Norwegian right-back Marcus Holmgren Pedersen also plays for the Dutch club. He gained a lot more confidence from manager Arne Slot, even though he was out of the team in the previous game.
Uncertainty around Haaland
When Solbakken selected his squad for upcoming private international matches, Erling Braut Haaland was naturally among the names on the national team manager list. This despite the striker struggling with injury problems.
Solbakken was able to reveal to Nettavisen that he has recently been in contact with Manchester City regarding the striker.
– We had a pleasant and open discussion without directives of either one, where we talked only about how to travel, about all practical things. His body is the most important thing. He’s a bit inactive now, Solbakken said after the retirement.
– I talked to Erling a couple of days ago and his physical situation at the moment, as Guardiola also said, is a bit uncertain. We haven’t given up on letting him take part in those games at all, so we’ll see what the situation will be like after he plays a couple more games with City, he concludes.
