Manchester City will be looking for a new striker next summer after finishing the last window without strengthening the No.9 position.
Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland is regularly named as a target for the Citizens, who will be available for €75m plus bonuses at the end of this season.
Sky Deutschland state BVB are ‘currently putting together a package’ to convince the 21-year-old to extend his stay at the club.
He earns €8-9m per year and the Bundesliga side plan to raise his annual salary to €16-18m. With the new deal, the buyout clause will be postponed by a year.
Despite the German club’s firm willingness to retain the player, his competitors ‘never sleep’. The question, however, remains who can afford Haaland.
The transfer fee seems affordable for top clubs, but the player’s high salary and hefty commission to his advisor, Mino Raiola, would see the entire package cost around €315m.
Bayern Munich cannot afford the Norway international, while Barcelona and Serie A sides are also eliminated. Real Madrid are in the picture, but their priority is to sign Kylian Mbappé on a free transfer.
In the Premier League, Chelsea and Manchester United have invested on Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo respectively. Therefore, Haaland would have ‘little space’ if he joins either of these clubs.
Pep Guardiola’s side are in contention and they, as per Sky, are the main suitor for the exciting signing.
“City is the hottest candidate for me. They are looking for a striker next summer and have not gotten Harry Kane. The necessary change would also be there,” Sky Transfer expert Max Bielefeld said.
PSG are in contention and he could be Mbappé’s successor, if the Frenchman leaves them as a free agent. The Ligue 1 giants have the financial muscle to carry out the operation.
With Manchester City the ‘hottest candidate’ to sign the BVB striker and PSG being able to afford the entire operation, the question that needs to be answered is which league does ‘Haaland want to play for’.
