The race for Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland intensifies, with the latest reports claiming Manchester City have made a move in order to steal the lead over Barcelona in the race to land the Norwegian.
The former RB Salzburg striker is undoubtedly the hottest no.9 in world football right now, and for obvious reasons, having scored a whopping 76 goals in 75 matches since making the switch to the Signal Iduna Park. Furthermore, the existence of the attacker's modest $86M release clause, which is set to kick in this summer, means several of the continent's biggest clubs are ready to wage war for his services.
The reigning Premier League champions are one of those teams. Guardiola's search for a new no.9 is no kept secret. The mega-rich Manchester outfit went all in for Tottenham superstar Harry Kane last summer but were rejected. Now, the Cityzens appear ready to shift their focus towards Haaland.
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, City are ready to go all out for the Norwegian once again, having initially been rejected when they inquired about his availability last summer. In fact, the Catalan paper claim the English heavyweights have already made contact with the player's representatives.
The departure of Ferran Torres to Barcelona has raised funds for a potential bid for Erling – not that City were in need of cash anyways – but it has also skyrocketed Pep's need for a new striker. While the Spaniard is not an orthodox forward, he is a versatile player who could fit anywhere across the front three.
However, this does not mean the Etihad Stadium side will get a free run at the 21-year-old. Recently, the links with Barcelona have picked up pace, with the player's agent Mino Raiola admitting that the Spanish giants – as well as City – are capable of landing the Norwegian despite the current financial woes at the Camp Nou.
Furthermore, Raiola has not ruled out the possibility of the player remaining with his current Bundesliga employers for another season. However, given the interest he has racked up, all roads point to him leaving the Signal Iduna Park this summer.
