Man City close to sealing Haaland move
Manchester City are set to complete the signing of one of the world's top football properties, Erling Haaland, from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund, according to reports from Germany.
The free-scoring Norwegian has been linked to a host of Europe's top clubs over the past 18 months but it seems as though Pep Guardiola's Man City have won the race for the 21-year-old's coveted signature.
A release clause of around $79 million will become active on Haaland's contract at the end of this season, with Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano informing his counterpart at the Dortmund club, Joachim Watzke, that they are willing to meet the buyout sum.
The deal will require the full sum to be paid in one instalment, rather than over several transfer windows as is commonplace with many major transfers on the continent.
Some minor terms still need to be ironed out before the deal moves forward but it is understood that Manchester City are confident that the transfer might be officially announced before the end of this week.
Haaland has scored an incredible 85 goals in just 88 games for Dortmund since he joined the club from RB Salzburg in 2020.
Since then he has been held alongside Frenchman Kylian Mbappe as the finest of a new generation of footballers. The two are tipped by the media to become the world's best strikers and duel for a decade or more over European silverware and individual honors like the Ballon d'Or.
Several other clubs, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea, had reportedly registered an interest in the Norwegian but Man City appears to have won the race to sign him.
Despite another successful season on the blue half of Manchester, Guardiola has yet to fully replace club legend Sergio Aguero – but it is thought that Haaland will more than make up for the absence of the Argentinian who retired from football due to the discovery of a heart condition shortly after moving to Barcelona on a free transfer last year.
Guardiola, though, kept his cards close to his chest when asked about the matter last month.
“[I have] no answer to your question,” the Spaniard said when asked of Haaland's impending move.
“I have no concern or business in my head right now to think about what is going to happen in this club next season.
“We are playing with good strikers this season, so I don't know what is going to happen in the future. It's next season, so I'm not going to talk [about it].”
However, one figure who looks unlikely to join Haaland in Manchester is Paul Pogba. The Frenchman, who enters free agency this summer, had been linked to a sensational move across the Manchester divide but is understood to have told Man City representatives that he will seek a move to a continental European club.
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and his former side Juventus are rumored to be the most likely destinations for the World Cup winning playmaker.
