Man City confirm £51m Haaland transfer as Premier League giants win race for Borussia Dortmund striker

The prolific Norwegian will be following in the footsteps of his father, Alf Inge, by linking up with the English champions over the summer

Manchester City have confirmed that Erling Haaland will be joining them on a five-year deal in the summer transfer window, with the reigning Premier League champions agreeing to pay the £51 million ($63m) fee that will trigger a release clause in the striker’s contract at Borussia Dortmund.

The prolific Norway international has been attracting interest from leading sides across Europe since he burst onto a Champions League scene at Red Bull Salzburg in 2019, with the decision taken to head for Germany during the January window of that campaign.

A remarkable strike rate has been maintained at Dortmund, with 85 goals recorded through 88 appearances, and the 21-year-old’s stunning skill set will now be added to star-studded ranks working under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City confirm Haaland transfer

City have announced the signing of Haaland in a statement via their official website, which reads: "Manchester City can confirm we have reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the Club on 1st July 2022.

"The transfer remains subject to the Club finalising terms with the player."

Manchester City can confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the Club on 1st July 2022.

The transfer remains subject to the Club finalising terms with the player.

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 10, 2022

Why have Man City signed Erling Haaland?

While City have been a force to be reckoned with on a domestic stage over recent years, European glory has remained elusive.

The general consensus is, with the club’s all-time leading scorer Sergio Aguero having departed as a free agent in 2021, that another fearsome No.9 is required in order to break a continental duck.

Guardiola made several bids to prise Harry Kane away from Tottenham ahead of the current campaign, but the England captain proved impossible to obtain from Premier League rivals.

Attention quickly switched to Haaland, who is set to follow in the footsteps of his father, Alf Inge, by gracing the books at City.

The Premier League isn't ready for this combo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qwRvRnxh2m

— GOAL (@goal) May 9, 2022

What is Man City’s deal for Erling Haaland worth?

The Blues could be considered to be getting quite the bargain in Haaland, with £51m a relatively small fee to be shelling out in an era where nine-figure price tags are becoming all the rage.

That is, however, the clause that was inserted into his contract when making a switch to Dortmund in the winter of 2020, and there are undisclosed bonuses and agent fees included in the deal.

Haaland is set to make around £400,000 per week, in line with the club's highest earner Kevin De Bruyne, and will be contracted to the Etihad outfit until 2027.

A statement from Dortmund reads: "Erling Haaland is about to transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City. All parties have agreed on the basics of this today. The contractual details still have to be coordinated and documented.

Happy not to be running after this guy for the next couple of years 😂😂😂
Welcome Erling ✌🏻🔥 https://t.co/aTdTWTPlmV

— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) May 10, 2022

"The implementation of the transfer is also subject to proper and timely processing in accordance with the provisions of the FIFA Transfer Matching System (FIFA TMS).

"With the realisation of this transfer business, the management expects a positive effect on the key earnings figures (EBITDA, EBIT) for the 2022/2023 financial year in the order of around EUR 35.0 million - 40.0 million.

"Due to the opening of the international FIFA transfer window from July 1st, 2022 and, among other things, other regulatory association requirements, the transfer business will not fall into the current 2021/2022 financial year, but into the 2022/2023 financial year."

The Citizens will be hoping to see Haaland hit the ground running when taking on a new challenge in 2022-23, with it hoped that he will shake off the niggling injury issues which have held him back at times this season.