Erling Haaland might be coming home.
The future of the Norway striker, one of the rising stars of world football, is set to be finalized this week and the expectation is he will leave Borussia Dortmund to join Manchester City as the English club’s belated replacement for Sergio Aguero.
Neither City nor Dortmund are commenting officially about the potential transfer but it’s the talk of football, with even the manager of Liverpool - City’s big rival in the Premier League - weighing in.
"This transfer will set new levels, let me say it like this," Jurgen Klopp told British broadcaster Sky Sports about Haaland joining City.
It is being widely reported that the release clause of 75 million euros ($79 million) in Haaland’s contract with Dortmund will be activated this week. Haaland could then bid farewell to Dortmund’s fans at the team’s last game of the season, at home to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Sebastian Kehl, who is taking over as Dortmund sports director, told Sport1 on Sunday that there should be "clarity in the next week" about Haaland's future, though he didn't mention City specifically.
Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad reported on Monday that Haaland completed his medical examination in Brussels.
The 21-year-old Haaland was born in England - in Leeds, which is a short drive from Manchester in the north of the country - while his father, Alf-Inge, was playing for City in the Premier League.
As a kid, Erling Haaland was pictured wearing a City jersey.
Along with Kylian Mbappe, Haaland is leading the new generation of stars ready to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as football’s marquee players. He could be the headline signing that lifts City from being a regular winner of domestic trophies to the standout team in Europe. Pep Guardiola’s team has failed to win the Champions League despite heavy spending by the club’s Abu Dhabi ownership.
City has played without an out-and-out striker this season following the departure of Aguero, its record scorer, after 10 years at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. The team’s lack of a natural goal-scorer has shown in some big matches this season, notably when getting eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals last week.
City tried to sign Tottenham striker Harry Kane in the last offseason and, when that didn’t come off, contemplated bidding for Cristiano Ronaldo before the Portugal forward sealed a return to Manchester United.
