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Stuart Jamieson

Erling Haaland 'proud' as Man City transfer completed while Nunez Liverpool fee agreed

Here are the latest Premier League headlines for Monday, June 13.

Haaland 'proud' at City move

Manchester City have completed the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund. The Premier League champions announced last month they had agreed a deal with the German club after triggering the prolific Norway striker's £51.1million release clause.

The 21-year-old has now signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium and will officially join Pep Guardiola's squad on July 1. Haaland, whose father Alf Inge played for City from 2000-03, is regarded as one of the hottest properties in the game after scoring 86 goals in 89 games in two-and-a-half seasons with Dortmund.

Haaland said: "This is a proud day for me and my family. I have always watched City and have loved doing so in recent seasons. You can't help but admire their style of play, it's exciting and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me.

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"There are so many world-class players in this squad and Pep is one of the greatest managers of all time, so I believe I am in the right place to fulfil my ambitions. I want to score goals, win trophies, and improve as a footballer and I am confident I can do that here. This is a great move for me, and I can't wait to get started in pre-season."

The arrival of Haaland ends City's long search for a specialist centre forward having failed in their attempts to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham last summer. His first appearances for City could come in pre-season friendlies against Club America and Bayern Munich in the United States next month. City then begin their next campaign when they face Liverpool in the Community Shield.

City director of football Txiki Begiristain said: "We have been monitoring Erling for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City. He is a huge talent and has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last few seasons. His goalscoring record is exceptional and his performances at Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level. Erling has everything we want in a striker, and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system.

"His rise has been remarkable, but he is still only 21. His best years are ahead of him, and we are confident he can get even better working with Pep. This is a very exciting signing for our club."

Liverpool agree Nunez fee

Liverpool have agreed a deal with Benfica to sign forward Darwin Nunez for a potential club record fee, the Portuguese side have announced. The 22-year-old Uruguay international will cost the Reds an initial £64million, with add-ons taking the potential final price to £85.5million.

That would eclipse the £75million the Merseyside club paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018. Liverpool will look to finalise what is understood to be a six-year contract with Nunez, whose arrival could clear the way for Sadio Mane to leave Anfield.

A statement from Benfica released in the early hours of Monday morning said the club had "reached an agreement with Liverpool FC for the sale of all rights to the player Darwin Nunez, for the amount of 75 million euros". It added that the "total amount of the sale could reach the amount of 100 million euros".

Personal terms are not expected to be a problem with Nunez having expressed a desire to move to Liverpool despite reported interest from Manchester United. He is now set to begin the formalities of a medical on Monday which could take until Wednesday to complete.

De Bruyne raises the bar

Kevin De Bruyne has promised to maintain his high standards at Manchester City next season, despite his workload being increased by a winter World Cup. The 30-year-old midfielder could potentially play close to 80 games next season if Belgium and City were to go all the way in every competition.

De Bruyne criticised the Nations League last week, saying four matches in 10 days at the end of a long season was "asking for trouble" and that he had not had a holiday "for eight or nine years". Wales captain Gareth Bale referenced De Bruyne's potential 79-game season next term in saying that "crazy" demands on players were sparking burnout fears.

But De Bruyne, who has won 10 trophies at City and been in the PFA Premier League team of the year for the last three seasons, said: "The last 10 years have been unbelievable for me. I don't know what I can do to be better. I just have to do what I need to do for my job at City and Belgium. The level was good and I am going to try and do the same."

De Bruyne remains philosophical about the workload situation, saying: "It is what it is. Obviously when people ask me a question I will give you my honest answer. People will take it good or bad. I don't care. I know nothing is going to change.

"Even with what I have said, I have played three games at the top of my physical level and I'm probably one of the only ones with Axel (Witsel) who has played these three games for Belgium. So physically I am fine. But it just doesn't make any sense."

Tielemans relaxed on future

Youri Tielemans remains relaxed over his future amid speculation that he could leave Leicester for Premier League rivals Arsenal. The Belgium midfielder has one year left on his Leicester contract but has been strongly linked to the Gunners, with boss Mikel Arteta keen to strengthen his squad this summer.

Tielemans told Belgian publication Het Belang van Limburg in March that he was happy at Leicester before adding he would "study my options in the summer and make a decision". He scored for Belgium in their 1-1 Nations League draw with Wales on Saturday and was asked about his future after the game.

Asked if he had any worries about his future, Tielemans, who has made 158 appearances since joining Leicester from Monaco in 2019, replied: "No, not at all and I don't think this is the moment and place to discuss that. I have expressed myself on that before and there is nothing new."

Tielemans' goal at the Cardiff City Stadium was his fifth for Belgium in 51 appearances and his first at international level since November 2020. The 25-year-old, scorer of the Wembley wonder strike that won Leicester the FA Cup in 2021, has vowed to add more goals to his game.

"At the moment that is the best one," Tielemans said of his cup final winner against Chelsea 13 months ago. "Hopefully I have got still a bit more years ahead of me, so maybe there will be another one that will come like that. If I can add more goals to my game then, of course, it will help the team more and I will be happy."

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