Erling Haaland is now officially a new Manchester City player. The English club has finally confirmed the signing of the Norwegian striker after agreeing to a transfer with Borussia Dortmund last May, paying a release clause that turned out being closer to €60 million rather than the €75 million it was initially reported as. The 21-year-old will join the Club on July 1 after signing a five-year deal which keeps him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2027, a club statement has confirmed. Haaland’s camp agreed with Manchester City on a salary that won’t go beyond Kevin De Bruyne’s, worth approximately £375,000.
“This is a proud day for me and my family,” Haaland said after completing his move. “I have always watched City and have loved doing so in recent seasons. You can’t help but admire their style of play, it’s exciting and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me. There are so many world-class players in this squad and Pep is one of the greatest managers of all-time, so I believe I am in the right place to fulfil my ambitions. I want to score goals, win trophies and improve as a footballer and I am confident I can do that here. This is a great move for me and I can’t wait to get started in pre-season.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: “We have been monitoring Erling for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City. He is a huge talent and has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last few seasons. His goalscoring record is exceptional and his performances at Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level. Erling has everything we want in a striker and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system. His rise has been remarkable, but he is still only 21. His best years are ahead of him and we are confident he can get even better working with Pep. This is a very exciting signing for our club, and I am sure our fans will enjoy watching Erling perform in this team.”
The Norwegian international, who burst onto the scene with a nine goal match against Honduras at 2019 Under-20 World Cup game, made a name for himself on the European stage under American Jesse Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg before further developing at Dortmund. At Salzburg, he scored 28 goals in 22 games during half of the 2019-20 season. He moved to Dortmund in January of 2020 and scored 16 goals in 18 games. His first full season in Germany saw him find the net 41 times in 41 games, and this season he managed 29 goals in 30 games. In 199 professional club games he has scored 154 times.
