Manchester City have confirmed their approach for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, subject to agreeing terms with the forward. The 21-year-old has been tipped for big things, having scored 21 goals in 23 Bundesliga appearances this season.
The Norway international is believed to have a release clause between €60million (£51.25million) and €75million (£64million) that the Citizens have triggered as they look to add a natural centre-forward to their ranks, just under one year after they failed to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham. Given that Pep Guardiola’s side have already scored 89 goals in the Premier League without this central striker figure, it remains to be seen how much damage they can do with Haaland up front.
The deal represents a blow to Chelsea and Arsenal, with both sides previously linked with a move for the youngster. The Blues may feel particularly hard done by, with ESPN reporting that an attempted transfer was blocked by the current takeover situation, giving City the clean run they needed to make an offer.
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Thomas Tuchel already discussed the possibility of signing Haaland in a previous interview with SportBILD, giving a warning about how good he is: “We talked about Erling Haaland a couple of times, including during the transfer window. But then it seemed absolutely unrealistic and not at all feasible. We talk about him regularly, of course, because he’s a fantastic player and clearly the defining figure at Dortmund, who is a big rival for us in the Champions League.”
With the transfer set to go through, it now means a few things for both the Gunners and the Blues. First is that a direct rival in Manchester City is set to strengthen, adding a goalscorer who is a master of taking half-chances in a team that creates them in abundance.
Second is that both clubs will have to be eyeing other attacking options in a market that has a shortage of world class players at the top. For Chelsea, they may look to find a player that can help complement the attacking ranks already at their disposal, while they still have a top - albeit underperforming striker - in Romelu Lukaku.
For Mikel Arteta, at least one forward will certainly be a priority, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to be free agents in the summer. The likes of Darwin Nunez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been linked with a move, while the incoming Haaland could free up room for City targets Gabriel Jesus or Raheem Sterling to join the Gunners.
It remains to be seen exactly how the transfer will play out, however if he can replicate his form for Dortmund, then it may be a tough few years battling it out in the Premier League.
