Eirik Haugan

Molde signed him twice. The first time he was five, arriving at the academy in 2002; he reached the senior squad in 2014 but left without a league appearance for the club. The second time, in February 2022, cost a reported €600,000 — the only fee ever confirmed for a Haugan transfer.

The move that broke the pattern came in August 2015, when Olympique de Marseille took him from Molde on undisclosed terms. Two years in France produced nine appearances for the reserve side. He left as a free agent in May 2017 and dropped to the Norwegian 2. divisjon with IL Hødd, and it was there that his career restarted: 40 league appearances and six goals in a season and a half.

That form carried him to Sweden. Östersunds FK signed him on a free transfer in February 2019 on a three-and-a-half-year deal, and he stayed until the return to Molde.

The second spell has been the substantial one. Haugan has passed 90 league appearances since 2022 and collected the club honours to match: the Eliteserien title in 2022, and the Norwegian Cup in 2021–22 and again in 2023. His initial contract at Molde ran for a single year. It was extended to 2026, then again to 2029.

Norway have used him through the youth system — caps at U15, U16, U17, U18 and U19 — but the senior call has not come.