While the Manchester derby is taking place on the pitch (currently goalless at hafltime), another battle between the two clubs is brewing off of it. Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland has been a transfer target of Manchester United for some time, but today we learned that Manchester City are after the Norwegian wonderkid as well.
United had a chance to sign him before he moved from RB Salzburg to BVB, but failed due to disagreement with the player’s agent Mino Raiola.
Saturday brought a report in The Daily Mail that claims City are seeking a replacement for their legendary striker Sergio Aguero, whose deal expires next summer. City would love to replace their all-time leading scorer with Europe’s best emerging, pure goal scorer, and to do so it would cost a pretty oenny.
The Haaland release clause is worth £65 million, and it takes effect in 2022. Not to mention the hefty wages that the 20-year-old would command. For both Manchester clubs, the deal is complicated by the fact that it’s Raiola who represents Haaland.
Man City enter Erling Haaland transfer race as Pep Guardiola looks to revamp attack for next season https://t.co/s0OeHKWli4
— The Sun – Man City (@SunManCity) December 12, 2020
Even despite having an in with the player’s father and his connection to United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the two sides couldn’t finalize a deal a year ago. Also, this past week, Raiola caused controversy for the club, and massively undermined them on the eve of their biggest game of the season, which they ultimately lost.
With City, you have the bad blood of Raiola harshly and mercilessly slamming the team’s current manager Pep Guardiola, over the Spaniard’s feuding with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In the end though, money talks and we’ll see who, if either club, splashes the cash here.
Real Madrid are said to be keen as well, but reportedly don’t have the financial strength right now to make a serious run. Another complication to this deal is how both Manchester clubs will be chasing big name, high-priced forwards next summer.
With United, it’s Haaland’s teammate, Jadon Sancho. For City, it’s the galactico of galacticos, Lionel Messi. For each club, you could get one of your targets, but most likely not both.
Acquiring young talent and then later turning a tidy profit of it is what Dortmund do, but they would likely not sell both Sancho and Erling Haaland in the same window.
Maybe they would if they were hurting for money, but that is certainly not the case right now.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.