Haaland to Man City? Failed Ronaldo transfer a blessing for Guardiola
Robin Bairner
- 12 Mar 2022 14:21 GMT
- 3 min read
Manchester City missing out on the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United last summer may just have opened the door for them to sign Erling Haaland in 2022.
City reportedly had an agreement in place to sign the Portuguese superstar last August, only for Man Utd to sweep in and hijack the deal at the last moment. It is a move that has not worked out well for either party. Ronaldo is struggling to score goals while Man Utd are struggling to even qualify for the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Man City have been working hard behind the scenes to improve their own offensive options, despite leading the Premier League table by six points coming into the weekend.
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Indeed, according to a report in the Daily Mail, they have a deal in place that will see them beat Real Madrid to the signing of Erling Haaland.
It has the potential to be one of the most pivotal transfers of the summer. Haaland has been one of the most sought-after players in world football for the last two years, having excelled after moving to Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020.
Crucially, he has a release clause in his contract that could see him move for as little as €75m – well below his true market value.
Ronaldo and Haaland together don't go
Although Real Madrid have generally been credited with leading the race for him, in part because of the player’s love of Spain, Man City are now said to have brokered a deal to add him to their ranks.
If these rumours prove accurate, missing out on Ronaldo is the best thing that has happened to City in years. Not only is he a mismatch for their system, but his presence would also have hampered any possibility of City capturing Haaland. Beyond his massive wages, both players can only play in a centre-forward role – and neither would take kindly to being a replacement.
In short, if City landed Ronaldo, their prospects of also signing Haaland would have been nil.
Not only have they missed out on a player who has been a transfer flop this season, they now have the chance to sign one of the hottest properties in the whole of the game instead.
