“I feel a bit at home” – Erling Haaland expresses long-term Man City support after securing transfer
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Erling Haaland on a five-year deal from Borussia Dortmund.
Back in May, Man City announced that they had reached an agreement in principle for Haaland’s transfer with just the personal terms between club and player to be finalised. But that was seen as merely a formality and, just a few weeks on from lifting another Premier League title, Pep Guardiola has officially got his man.
The deal is reported to be for an initial £51.5m, Haaland’s release cause a Dortmund, but is expected to rise to £85.5m with add-ons – such as a signing bonus and agent fees. Haaland will officially join Man City on July 1 as is the case with most early summer transfers but can start preparing for life in the Premier League and a quest to terrorise English defences as he did in the Austrian and German Bundesligas.
Haaland came through the academy at Bryne in Norway and was eventually sold to Molde but his record of 20 goals in 50 games for the first team looks poor compared to what he managed after moving to Red Bull Salzburg in 2019. The Norwegian striker netted 29 goals in 27 games including eight in six in the Champions League, which quickly brought him to the attention of Europe’s bigger clubs.
Dortmund were the ones to win the race for his signature in January 2020, beating the likes of Manchester United – which would have brought a reunion with former Molde boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – and Haaland hit the ground running. He leaves Dortmund after 89 games and 86 goals to actually return to his native country, born in Leeds just as his father Alf-Inge was in the process of moving to Manchester having signed for Man City from Leeds United.
And Erling Haaland has admitted his father played a part in him joining Man City, having followed the club as a child.
“First of all, my father, a little bit,” Haaland told Man City’s website of his decision to join the club.
“I was born in England, I’ve been a City fan all my life. I know a lot about the club and I think in the end two things… I feel a bit at home here and also I think I can develop and get the best out of my game at City.
“This is a proud day for me and my family.
“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.”
