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Pep Guardiola may not be giving any indication one way or another, but the signs point to Manchester City becoming Erling Haaland’s next destination.
Multiple reports Tuesday suggest that City has a deal with Haaland, will pay Borussia Dortmund his €75 million release clause and any and all subsequent fees, commissions, bonuses and outlandish wages to land the 21-year-old Norwegian prodigy, who would more than fulfill the club’s glaring need at striker. For all City has accomplished this season and could yet accomplish—a Premier League and Champions League double remains within reach—it has done so without a leading No. 9. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and wingers Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez are the club’s leading scorers in Premier League play this season. Sergio Agüero’s departure and the failed summer pursuit of Harry Kane left City with limited options up top, and while it hasn’t been to the detriment of the club this season from a results standpoint, there’s no telling what adding a player like Haaland could do for the club’s attack.
Haaland’s season has been beset by injuries, but he has still managed to score 18 goals in 20 Bundesliga matches—including two over the weekend—with a further four in two DFB Pokal matches and another three in three Champions League group games. Any move would not be able to be finalized until the opening of the summer transfer window.
“No answer to your question,” was Guardiola’s response when asked Tuesday about the possibility of City closing in on Haaland’s signature. “No answer about these questions. I have no concern and business in my head right now to think about what is going to happen in this club next season.
“For many years I never talk about the transfer window, especially when we are playing for incredible things still this season.”
According to The Athletic, Haaland has signed off on a move to Man City, which is one of the clubs for which his father, Alfe-Inge Haaland, played during his career. Further reports in the U.K. state that Haaland has about 500,000 reasons per week to agree to such a move—that’s around what his purported wages (in pounds) will be at the Etihad should the move come to fruition.
Haaland has been linked to just about every major club across Europe, with Real Madrid and PSG most prominently mentioned alongside City as his chief suitors and likeliest next stops. Unlike many of Man City’s top talents, Haaland will not be consumed with preparing for the World Cup, with Norway failing to reach Qatar 2022.
Dortmund, as is typically the case, appears to have a candidate to try to replace Haaland lined up, and it’s one of the players who nominally replaced Haaland at his former club. RB Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi, 20, has been linked to the Black and Yellow for months. The Germany international has 20 goals in all competitions this season, 16 of which have come in the Austrian Bundesliga, while four came in the Champions League (one in the qualifying playoff round, three in the group stage).
