Non-league side offer to take Haaland on loan from Man City
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 14 Nov 2022 18:16 GMT
- 3 min read
Erling Haaland has been offered the chance to play in the seventh-tier of English football after Manchester City received an audacious offer for him to join Ashton United on loan.
Haaland is set for a period of rest after Norway failed to qualify for the World Cup and the Northern Premier League Premier Division side released a statement offering to keep the City striker match fit with a 28-day loan.
The non-league outfit revealed on Twitter that they had yet to receive a response from Pep Guardiola’s side but insisted that a loan ‘just made sense’.
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The statement read: “With the current Premier League champions not in action until late December due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, The Robins have reached out to our neighbours at the Etihad in order to keep Haaland's match fitness with him not being involved in Qatar.
Ashton manager Michael Clegg added: “It just makes sense. City aren't playing, and we want to help by keeping Erling fit, it makes more sense than him playing golf for six weeks.
“We think he will be a great fit for us, and would slot in with our squad dynamic really well.”
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Haaland has netted 23 goals in 18 Premier League games since joining from Dortmund for £51 million in the summer and Guardiola confirmed the 22-year-old would enjoy some time off before returning to training in December.
The transfer window is still open in non-league so Haaland theoretically could line up for Ashton against Bamber Bridge on Saturday if City sanction the move.
Ashton currently lie in 11th place in their league and play at Hurst Cross just six miles away from the Etihad Stadium, giving Haaland the tempting offer of a quick commute.
The club’s offer received more than 50,000 ‘likes’ on Twitter and their website crashed following the announcement, hinting that their 4,500 seater stadium may be packed out should they seal their new signing.
