He’s one of Europe’s hottest properties and the rumours that Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland is on his way to Manchester City are gathering furious pace.
On Saturday it was reported in the English press that City boss Pep Guardiola and the Manchester club’s owners had reportedly agreed personal terms with Haaland and, if and when the deal is confirmed, it will be the biggest Bundesliga 2022 news we’ve seen. Die Scwharzgelben are in second place in the Bundesliga table behind champions FC Bayern and they would have pushed the Bavarians harder had their 21 year old star striker been fit throughout the campaign. And while Die Schwarzgelben look likely to take another second place they have another issue to resolve; the future of their Norwegian phenomenon.
And now it looks like they’ll have to settle for losing him too.
Manchester City are in an almighty tussle for the league title with Liverpool, and the Premier League 2022 betting odds here at SBOTOP have backed the Sky Blues all along; but the lack of a 25 goal a season striker hasn’t made their task any easier and they have already watched the Reds pick up the Carabao Cup before falling to Jurgen Klopp’s men in the FA Cup semi-final. Last summer it seemed like the transfer of England captain Harry Kane from Spurs to City was all but confirmed, but the Tottenham board held firm and refused to sell their prize asset so Guardiola went with what he had.
But he won’t take that risk again.
After losing the FA Cup semi-final the Sky Blues have got back on track with wins over Brighton and Hove Albion and Watford, so they are still in pole position to win a fourth Premier League title in five years and are in the Champions League semi-final. But as Liverpool keep improving then the Sky Blues must do so too, if they are to maintain their advantage.
As and when the deal for Haaland goes through it will be the biggest transfer of the summer, alongside the potential move of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid; and it is reported that the striker could become the Premier League’s highest paid player at a salary of over £500,000 a week.
The signing of Haaland could make the Sky Blues invincible, if he is added to the embarrassment of riches already at the Etihad, and it would send shock waves through the market. Kane may have to stay at Spurs, though the arrival of Erik Ten Hag through the doors of Old Trafford might generate some transfer activity and the England man could solve a problem in attack for the Red Devils.
Following in his father’s footsteps
Erling’s dad, Alfe Inge Haaland played in the Premier League with both Manchester City and Leeds United, making 181 appearances in the top flight as a combative defensive midfielder. Haaland senior had a long running feud with Manchester United hard man Roy Keane, culminating with a horror tackle by the Irishman when the two met in a 2001 Manchester Derby. Haaland had only recently joined the Sky Blues for a fee of £2.5m, around three percent of the price City will have to pay to meet his son’s release clause at Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland junior has suffered his fair share of injuries this season, sidelined with a hamstring strain in the early months of the campaign and then suffering a hip injury which kept him out for two months. He returned to action late in November, scoring his 50th league goal in the Bundesliga in a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, at that gave him the record of being the youngest player ever to reach that benchmark in the German league.
Despite his injuries Haaland is still the league’s third top scorer, netting 18 goals from 21 appearances and, with 15 goals in 17 games for Norway, he is surely set to become a legend at both club and country level. He’s now scored 82 goals from 85 games for BVB in all competitions, and 23 goals in 19 Champions League appearances, and that will be very attractive to Guardiola who is determined to dominate Europe with the Etihad club.
The move makes a lot of sense for the Sky Blues off the pitch as well as on it. As well as filling the hole left by City’s long time goal scorer Sergio Aguero it would be a smart commercial move, as Haaland and Mbappe are the two most marketable assets in world football.
The move would be Borussia’s loss and City’s gain; and it seems the Dortmund club has little chance to stop the deal.
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