THE £150M MAN TO REPLACE AGUERO
Erling Haaland will be in Manchester next week when Borussia Dortmund face City in the Champions League. But will the striking sensation make the Etihad his permanent home next season as the successor to Sergio Aguero? Pep Guardiola has made Haaland his No1 target, but City will have to more than double their record fee to land one of the game’s hottest properties this summer. JEREMY CROSS assesses the chances of a deal and the impact his arrival would have How would he fit in?
You would have thought someone as clinical as Haaland would complement any team – including one still on course for a historic Quadruple this season. Along with Robert Lewandowski, Haaland is the most prolific striker in world football but, at the age of 20, is only just starting his career.
His agent, Mino Raiola, said: “This boy, I’m 100 percent convinced and everybody’s convinced, can move to any club, wherever he wants, already on this level.”
Aguero, who leaves in June, has been an out-and-out No9 whose club-record 257 goals have helped propel City to unparalleled success.
And while Guardiola has managed to cope without him for most of this campaign by playing Gabriel Jesus and deploying others in a false nine role, having a reliable and consistent goalscorer is priceless. Haaland has plundered 39 goals in 38 games for club and country this season. Just imagine how many the Norwegian would score for City, given they dominate games and create so many chances.
A front three of Haaland, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden would be something to behold.
Aguero will take some replacing, but it is a conundrum Guardiola has to solve and Haaland appears to be his best chance of achieving ‘mission impossible’.
How would the financial outlay impact on Guardiola’s need to strengthen elsewhere?
For all the millions lavished on superstars during his ownership of the club, Sheikh Mansour has remained reluctant to spend big on one person. While the amount of cash the billionaire has ploughed into City remains eye-watering, his record signing remains defender Ruben Dias, who cost £62million. Let’s not forget, City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak balked at spending £75m on Virgil van Dijk – and look how that decision panned out.
At £150m, Haaland would cost double this and would be a startling departure from City’s usual approach.
The blockbuster deal would also come in the wake of a global pandemic that has changed the transfer market.
With gate receipts and other revenues significantly down due to the impact of Covid-19, even the biggest clubs have had to take stock of their financial situations. Deciding to sign Haaland is a huge decision, even for City, but they are a remarkably wealthy club with the power to compete with and beat most rivals – if they are committed to getting what they want.
Would the huge outlay mean Guardiola staying beyond 2023?
The Spaniard signed a new deal in November that, if fulfilled, will see him spend longer at City than any other club he has managed. The man who puts his life and soul into the job appears to have found his second wind. He has been re-energised this season, leading his team on a seemingly unstoppable march towards a clean sweep of silverware. The 50-year-old wants to dominate the game for the foreseeable future, so he can leave a dynasty behind when he does decide to hand back the keys to his castle.
Signing Haaland would be a huge step towards helping him do this.
With Haaland on board, City could go on to win multiple titles at home and abroad — and why would Guardiola want to give all that up?
What would it mean for Jesus?
It would mean trouble for the Brazilian, that’s what. Jesus is a good player, but the harsh truth is he is not fit to lace the boots of either Aguero or Haaland.
With Aguero spending most of this season injured, Jesus has had the chance to stake his claim for being the Argentinian’s heir apparent.
But a return of 12 goals in 30 appearances does not suggest he will ever be as prolific or consistent as the legend who has gone before him. Just two of those goals have come against the so-called Big Six, if we are still including Arsenal in this category. Haaland’s arrival would leave Jesus on the outside looking in, no matter how much Guardiola likes to rotate his squad.
If City do not get Haaland, what is their next move?
The obvious alternative is Harry Kane.
The 27-year-old England and Tottenham striker has promised to make a decision on his future in the summer after the Euros. He knows he will not go on to fulfil his ambitions with his boyhood club – and that his huge talents deserve to be recognised with trophies. His only medals with Spurs are for finishing runners-up in the Champions League and League Cup.
Kane might not even be playing in the Champions League next season, let alone have a realistic chance of winning it.
City will be, though, and a move to the Etihad should appeal to Kane.
But as with Haaland, he will not come cheap. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy drives a hard bargain and it is difficult to imagine him allowing his prized asset to leave without securing top dollar for someone approaching his peak.