Erling Haaland is one of the most sought-after players in world football, and for obvious reasons, having set European football ablaze since debuting in the UEFA Champions League with RB Salzburg before eventually joining German giants Borussia Dortmund.
Several of the continent's biggest clubs have their eyes set on the Norwegian superstar, with the likes of Chelsea, Man United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and PSG having all been linked with a move for the Bundesliga sensation. However, one side are set to hold January talks with the player and they are none other than Man City.
According to the Times, the 21-year-old is now target no.1 for the Cityzens in their search for a new striker, having seen iconic forward Sergio Aguero leave over the summer without being replaced. Initially, the Premier League champions preferred a move for Harry Kane, but due to Daniel Levy's unwillingness to negotiate, that transfer saga resulted in an unsuccessful pursuit.
Guardiola's side have now moved their focus elsewhere and are keen on landing Haaland, with the club set to stage talks with his agent Mino Raiola this winter. It should be pointed out that this won't be the first time Erling's representative holds talks with another club as both Raiola and the player's father traveled to Spain to have conversations with Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, unlike those two La Liga giants, Man City have not been financially crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic and will thus have funds to spend on the Dortmund ace
One of the most attractive things about a move for the Norwegian is his price tag as his $91M release clause will activate in June 2022, meaning City can land him for far less money than what Spurs were demanding for Kane. Given that the former RB Salzburg striker has netted 68 times in 67 appearances for BVB, that figure could easily be seen as a bargain!
One huge roadblock initially predicted for Man City was the relationship between Mino Raiola and Pep Guardiola, with the pair not seeing eye to eye mainly due to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's infamous spell under the Spanish tactician back at Barcelona. However, both parties are ready to put their differences aside. What the Cityzens should be concerned about is interest from Man Utd and PSG. Unlike Chelsea, who turned to Romelu Lukaku after giving up on the Norwegian, the Red Devils are still keeping tabs on the striker despite re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo. Les Parisiens, on the other hand, could be on the hunt for a new forward next summer should Kylian Mbappe leave for Real Madrid.
