Erling Haaland's £51m move to Manchester City is undoubtedly the most exciting transfer in world football, and understandably so.
The 21-year-old Norwegian striker has earned a reputation as one of the best marksmen in the game, combining an insatiable appetite for goals with technical brilliance and awesome physical attributes.
Over two-and-a-half seasons at Borussia Dortmund Haaland scored a remarkable 83 goals in 87 games, making him one of the hottest prospects in world football.
After City failed in their attempts to land Harry Kane last summer, it was clear that Pep Guardiola was desperate to sign an elite striker. The club granted the Spaniard his wish, working tirelessly to find off the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in order to get their man.
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While City never sign players solely to achieve specific targets, it seems clear that Haaland's arrival will address one of the few chinks in City's armour.
Despite finishing the campaign as the top-scoring team out of Europe's top five leagues (150 goals in all competitions), City were often wasteful in front of goal.
That ended up hurting them in the Champions League, as a failure to see off Real Madrid in the first and second legs of the semi-final left the door slightly ajar, allowing Los Blancos to force their way back into the tie and eliminate the Blues.
Speaking to Lord Ping, former City defender Bacary Sagna is sure that Haaland's presence up front will help City to go all the way and win the Champions League for the first time.
"I think playing with an out-and-out number nine rather than a floating striker or a false nine can make a massive difference," he said. "The players that have played in that position in recent times for City get involved and link play, they don’t stay within the central attacking zones or the box.
"City’s opponents in the Champions League defend their box in a compact way and we know that for all teams, it can be hard to unlock those types of defences, so he will give them a different option and allow City to be a bit more direct when they need to be."
Some critics - perhaps unfairly - questioned City's mentality after their heartbreaking exit to Real Madrid. If there was any substance to those concerns, then Sagna believes Haaland will help address them too.
"He was born to be a footballer and if you look at what he has been doing since he started his career and think about how young he is, then you know that he has the right attitude and a killer instinct.
"I don’t like to make comparisons, and I think they are different players, but he has a similar mentality to Mbappe - he just wants to destroy every opponent he faces."
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