Manchester City have confirmed a deal to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund this summer. The striker’s buy-out clause, understood to be €60 million , has been met and the Norway international will earn £375,000 (€409,000) a week, plus bonuses.
Haaland passed a medical this week and the deal ends Pep Guardiola’s search for a long-term successor to City’s record goalscorer, Sergio Agüero. Haaland, who will be 22 in July, has scored 85 goals in 88 appearances for Dortmund, whom he joined from RB Salzburg in January 2020.
“Manchester City can confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the club on 1st July 2022,” a statement said. “The transfer remains subject to the club finalising terms with the player.”
City are pleased to have beaten clubs including Real Madrid to sign one of Europe’s finest strikers, who they believe will improve in the coming years. Haaland selected City over similar financial offers because of his desire to play under Guardiola and test himself in the Premier League.
On Tuesday Guardiola cautioned against the idea that Haaland will solve all City’s goalscoring needs. “The new players always help to try to be a stronger team but a good defender will not solve our defensive problems, one striker will not solve scoring problems that maybe we have,” the manager said. “Not me, the club has to have a vision for the future. I am always completely aware and supportive 100 per cent .”
The Haaland family have attended a number of games at the Etihad this season in preparation for the move. Leeds-born Haaland will follow in the footsteps of his father Alf-Inge, who had a three-year spell with City at the start of the century. “He can score with the right, the left, via counterattacks, in the box,” Guardiola said of Haaland last year. “He’s a fantastic striker, everyone knows it.”
The signing will be a boost to a squad that missed out on the Champions League final after their dramatic exit to Real Madrid last week. Haaland has scored 21 goals in 17 Champions League appearances and it is hoped he could help City win the trophy, the club having lost last season’s final against Chelsea.
City need seven points from their remaining three Premier League matches, starting at Wolves on Wednesday, to guarantee a fourth Premier League title in Guardiola’s six years with the club. Guardiola has problems in defence with Rúben Dias, John Stones and Kyle Walker out for the remainder of the season. The midfielder Fernandinho is expected to start at centre back at Molineux. – Guardian
