Man City to hold talks in January over Erling Haaland summer transfer
By Max Cooper
Erling Haaland's agent Mino Raiola will hold talks with Premier League giants Manchester City in January, over the possibility of a summer transfer to the Etihad Stadium.
The Borussia Dortmund superstar is going to be front and centre of a transfer tug-of-war next year, when a €75m release clause in his contract becomes active. Clubs will not need to negotiate with Der BVB to land the Norwegian, meaning they must convince the 21-year-old to reject other lucrative offers in favour of their own.
Man City are one of the clubs who are extremely interested in signing Haaland, and according to The Times, they are prepared to kick off negotiations with the forward as early as January to plant themselves at the front of the queue.
Haaland's agent Raiola is expected to hold talks with the Citizens in the winter, as they are desperate to land a centre forward following their failed attempt to sign England captain Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.
Pep Guardiola has often relied on a false nine system that does not contain a genuine striker, due to the lack of options at his disposal. So, City will see the signing of Haaland as a chance to bolster their attacking alternatives with one of the hottest prospects on the planet - and below market value.
It's not only the Premier League champions who are waiting to strike for Haaland, though. Rivals Manchester United have often been mentioned as a possible destination, and the relationship between national compatriot Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the striker could prove to be a factor.
But there is also plenty of interest from Spain. Real Madrid are freshening up their squad, having already signed teenage wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga, and look nailed on to sign Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer next year.
Haaland is the exact type of 'Galactico' signing that president Florentino Perez favours, and despite their recent struggles to win La Liga, Santiago Bernabeu remains an attractive destination for the world's best players.
The Norwegian forward himself is 'seduced' by the idea of donning the white of los Merengues, putting them firmly in the race. Along with Madrid, FC Barcelona are also willing to enter the battle to land the most wanted striker on the planet.
However, the Blaugrana's pursuit of Haaland hits an immediate stumbling block, given the financial issues that are crippling the Catalan outfit. Even after selling a good chunk of their playing squad in the summer, they are in dire straits, and big money transfers next year remain out of the question unless solutions are found.
And while it feels a foregone conclusion that Haaland will leave Dortmund next summer, the Bundesliga club have not given up on convincing him to stick around for another season.
Dortmund are willing to offer their talisman a new and vastly improved contract, which will make him the highest-paid player in the club's history, in order to secure his long-term future.
They would also look to remove the low release clause from his deal, meaning potential buyers will be forced to pay a major sum to snatch him from the German side.