Pep Guardiola virtually confirmed that a Manchester City deal for Erling Haaland is done — by saying he is not allowed to speak about it. City are expected to announce the £64million arrival of the Borussia Dortmund hitman in the next few days, but there are still contractual details to be ironed out.
Haaland wants to announce his departure from the Bundesliga outfit ahead of their final game of the season against Hertha Berlin on Sunday, so he can say a proper farewell to the "Yellow Wall" of supporters who have taken him to their hearts. But the deal is done, and he is understood to have passed a medical at a Brussels hospital yesterday.
Guardiola faced the media ahead of tomorrow night's crunch Premier League game at Wolves, and he made it plain that the only thing holding him back from talking about Haaland's imminent arrival was some legal detail.
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"Everybody knows the situation, I shouldn't talk because I don't like to talk about the future or next season," he said when asked. "Dortmund and Man City told me I'm not allowed to say anything until it's completely done. We'll have time to talk."
And when pressed on the matter he said he would like nothing more than to discuss the way Haaland will fit into his team next season: "I'd love to talk, they tell me don't say anything until the legal actions [are done]. We'll have time to talk, not because I don't want."
When asked about what a striker would add to a squad that is already top of the league and has scored 140 goals this season, Guardiola said: "We have a number nine, we have new players in the squad, some from the academy who come up next season.
"New players always help me try to be stronger, not a good defender will solve out defensive problems and not a good striker will solve scoring problems. Since day one is like this apart from one period at the beginning of the season, we score lots and concede few.
"The club always has to have a vision for the future. The decision the club takes I'm always aware and 100 per cent supportive."
Haaland is expected to join in a five-year deal and, at 21, is seen as a big part of the future, with Guardiola saying in the past he expected big changes this summer. His arrival is expected to trigger the departure of Gabriel Jesus, with Arsenal leading the hunt for the Brazilian.
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