City are known to be in the market for a prolific striker owing to the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero to Barcelona, along with a lack of genuine forwards at the club.
During the summer transfer window, Pep Guardiola publicly declared his desire to see Harry Kane spearhead his side, however as Tottenham refused to sell their prized asset, Manchester City have now been forced to look elsewhere - while also having to wait several more months to do so.
One man who has often been linked with a move to Pep Guardiola’s side is Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, however there appear to be major obstacles to overcome should the Sky Blues wish to acquire the prolific Norwegian
According to Sport Witness, who have translated and relayed a report by German outlet Sport 1, Manchester City are expected to enter a ‘bidding war’ for Erling Haaland next summer.
The report notes that the Sky Blues will battle local rivals Manchester United for Haaland’s signature, however the source states that Bayern Munich have “no chance” of signing the Norwegian international, and will not pursue a deal owing to “horrendous figures need to secure his signature.”
Erling Haaland is understood to be available for €75 million next summer owing to a release clause in his contract and given his staggering goal scoring feats in Germany, he is likely to be pursued by many of Europe’s top clubs.
However, whilst Haaland's release clause is set at €75 million, the additional fees involved in a potential deal such as the player's wage demands and agent fees mean that a potential deal would be worth "well over €300 million".
This means that owing to Bayern Munich's wage structure, they are effectively out of the race already, thus leaving the door open for Manchester City and others to pursue the player.
Given how desirable of an asset Haaland is, the source notes that Manchester City will enter a "bidding war" to attain Haaland's services whilst other major clubs such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Manchester United are also expected to be interested in the player.
Erling Haaland has scored a total of 63 goals in just 64 games for Borussia Dortmund and owing to his proficiency in front of goal, he will be pursued by a myriad of clubs. However, his wage demands, and the accompanying agent fees will likely put off several interest sides.
This would theoretically open the door for clubs more willing to pay the highest wages such as Real Madrid and PSG, however, owing to Haaland’s existing connection with Manchester City due to his father Alf-Inge having played for the Sky Blues, a potential deal that could see Haaland link up with Guardiola’s squad is a possibility.
More must-reads: