Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund in a £51million deal.
Haaland, one of the world’s most sought-after players, will officially join City from Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract on July 1.
City said on May 10 that they had reached an agreement in principle with Dortmund to sign the 21-year-old and the club announced on Monday that the deal is complete.
‘This is a proud day for me and my family,’ said Haaland. ‘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.’
HE'S HERE! 💙 pic.twitter.com/JuZEtzTWbv
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 13, 2022
Haaland is one of the most prolific goalscorers in world football and has netted 86 times in 89 appearances for Dortmund during two-and-a-half years there.
City had been waiting for Haaland to finish international duty with Norway and the official opening of the transfer window before unveiling their marquee signing.
The Athletic reports the club have planned a special event to reveal Haaland to the world, similar to those given to the likes of Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez.
The Premier League champions believe they have landed a bargain after beating Real Madrid to the signature of Haaland. He had also been linked with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United in recent months.
‘We have been monitoring Erling for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City,’ said City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain.
‘He is a huge talent and has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last few seasons.
‘His goalscoring record is exceptional and his performances at Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level.
‘Erling has everything we want in a striker, and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system. His rise has been remarkable, but he is still only 21. His best years are ahead of him, and we are confident he can get even better working with Pep.
‘This is a very exciting signing for our club, and I am sure our fans will enjoy watching Erling perform in this team.’
It is understood that Haaland is set to earn in the region of £385,000 a week, in line with the club’s top wage bracket and Kevin De Bruyne’s salary.
City were expected to part with £63 million to trigger a release clause in his contract but have secured Haaland for £12 million less than that figure.
Those finances are similar to the overall deal Barcelona put together to land Ferran Torres in January.
Haaland’s father, Alf Inge, is a former City player and negotiated the personal terms alongside lawyer Rafaela Pimenta.
Agency fees and bonuses will take the eventual outlay to £85 million. City believe the emotional attachment Haaland’s family have to the club helped convince him to join.
On Friday, Haaland teased his impending arrival at the Etihad by Tweeting pictures of himself as a toddler wearing a full City kit – with the name ‘Dad’ on the back in reference to his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for the club between 2000 and 2003.
Haaland captioned the two pictures with the phrase ‘to be continued’, accompanied by a ‘soon’ arrow emoji and a blue heart emoji.
City’s official Twitter account responded by saying ‘see you soon’ in a message that would have no doubt excited the club’s fanbase.
The deal was announced 22 years to the day that City signed his father from Leeds United.
Haaland could make his first appearance in City colours during their pre-season tour of the United States with a match against Mexicans Club America scheduled for July 21 in Houston.
Source: Daily Mail
