BarcelonaOne of the summer’s signings is about to come true. Erling Haaland will play for Manchester City in the coming seasons. As ARA has confirmed, the esteemed Norwegian center-forward has committed to the citizens two weeks ago, before the Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid. In this way, and as the journalist David Ornstein, from The Athletic, the still Borussia Dortmund footballer will be officially the new member of the team led by Pep Guardiola before the end of this month. Although the possibility of the official announcement holding out until the end of the Premier League, which is in a fierce battle between the now-leading City and Liverpool, has been raised, the most recent forecast is that it will be this Friday when the execution of the transfer is announced.
Haaland, who will turn 22 in July, will finally sign a five-season long contract, at a rate of about 40 million euros gross plus annual variables, making him the highest paid player in the squad and one of the highest paid English league. The footballer was not in favor of signing a long contract (this is how they transferred it to Barça), but, in return, a departure clause has been secured once he has spent two seasons at City for a stipulated amount – very high – that would allow him to change his mind. His dream is still to play in the Spanish league.
For its part, Dortmund, who spent 20 million two years ago to sign the Salzburg player, will charge between 65 and 75 for a transfer. City will also have to go through the tube of the commissions, amounting to about 70 million to be shared between the footballer’s father, Alf-Inge Haaland (former City player at the beginning of the century and who was betting on taking his son to Manchester) , and the representation company of Mino Raiola, who died recently. Salary aside, the English will have to pay pretty much the same in Dortmund as around Haaland. The Etihad has been trying to cut this payment until the last minute.
This puts an end to one of the series on the market. Barça, who got into the fight for the striker knowing that the economic hurdle denied him at all times to lead the fight with the other big clubs concerned, played their cards based on Joan Laporta’s good relationship with Mino Raiola and the ability of persuasion of Xavi – who went to see him accompanied by Jordi Cruyff – to convince the player to join the Barça project. But the financial reality of the Catalan whole – high debt and fair play exceeded – and that Barça have difficulty competing with top European clubs are decisive factors that have been reflected in the erosion of Laporta’s speech on signing.
From the initial optimism of the president stating that the operation could be possible – Halaand has always wanted and came to meet with Raiola and the player’s father a year ago – he went on to admit that it was an increasingly remote option. and economically unviable. His own agreement with CVC, which is the lever that Barça has most at hand to gain economic oxygen, made him think that the operation could be tackled, but to overcome the conditions of the League to register the salary of a player of this magnitude remains a chimera. With about 50 million extra salary margin, it is not enough to enroll a footballer who asks for 40 gross per year. In addition, the club considers the level of commissions to be very high.
Benzema’s ‘favor’
With the Haaland series settled, the other big name to hit the market is Kylian Mbappé. As the struggle between Real Madrid to sign him and PSG continues to renew him – the final chapter of the battle lies in the image rights of the new contract – Karim Benzema’s great season has also been a factor. which has weighed heavily on the Norwegian in deciding. City do not have a center-forward forward – Harry Kane could not sign last season and Grealish arrived with a different profile – while the French striker is signing his best course since defending the Madrid shield. The arrival of Mbappé would also mean one overbooking that Halaand would lose a role that Manchester knows, a priori, that it will have.
The first big move in the market is already served, while Xavi claims one we because neither Aubameyang nor Memphis convince him and it remains to be seen how Ansu will evolve after a virtually blank season due to injuries. In addition, from the locker room it is also defended that the Hispanic Guinean can alternate the point of attack with the band. Lewandowski is Laporta’s favorite option once he has already assumed that Haaland is impossible. He has no doubts, despite his age (34 years in August), about the immediate performance that the Pole would give. The problem is to agree with Bayern, which would ask for at least 40 million, and find the salary fit for a player who earns 20 million gross per year. The main alternative: Alvaro Morata. The Madrid player, owned by Atlético de Madrid, is on loan at Juventus and his arrival would depend on the situation of Antoine Griezmann, for whom there is a purchase option valued at 40 million in the summer of 2023.
