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Winners and losers from Haaland's move to Man City
Erling Haaland has completed his €60 million transfer to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund.
The Norwegian forward has been linked with a move away for a while, and as other clubs pulled out of the race, Manchester City saw a clear path to get their man.
With that, there will be winners and losers from the deal.
Who are the winners and losers from Haaland to Man City?
Winners
Premier League
The Premier League is now the home for the game’s top players and coaches, with the top clubs’ financial pull and European might proving to be an attractive proposition for many.
With the addition of Haaland, one of the game’s brightest young players, the league’s star power will only increase and joining a team already filled with great players will only boost Haaland’s career.
A signing like this will be very well-welcomed by league bosses as the league’s marketability continues to grow.
Also on Monday, Liverpool completed the €100m transfer of Darwin Nunez from Benfica. The Premier League's spending power is in a league of its own.
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne has been the league’s best playmaker for a while, and he’s often backed that up with the numbers, even when there isn’t an out-and-out number nine playing for Manchester City.
So imagine how much he could do with a player as explosive as Haaland to support him?
A partnership like this will be a problem for the rest of the league but will only be able to boost De Bruyne’s assist statistics every season, and the Belgian will look forward to playing Haaland.
🔎 | FOCUS
Kevin De Bruyne v Real Madrid:
👌 72 touches
⚽️ 1 goal
🎯 3 shots/1 on target
🅰️ 1 assist
🎁 1 big chance created
🔑 3 key passes
🔭 4/4 accurate long balls
👟 45/51 accurate passes
💨 2/3 successful dribbles
📈 8.4 SofaScore rating
Our man of the match. 🌟#UCL pic.twitter.com/epYVSRGLjA— SofaScore (@SofaScoreINT) April 26, 2022
Losers
Bundesliga
With the loss of Haaland, the Bundesliga will lose yet another top star – one of its biggest – and it’s not a good look on the league as a whole, which has developed a reputation of being a “selling league”.
Previous years have seen the likes of Kai Havertz, Jadon Sancho and Timo Werner depart to clubs in England, and it depletes competition, as the league’s top sides are unable to compete with Bayern Munich.
Dortmund were one of Bayern’s top challengers, and losing their biggest goal threat will be a problem.
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus has never been seen as Manchester City’s permanent number nine, although he has done a decent job when asked.
Guardiola has often preferred playing players like Raheem Sterling in the position, and the addition of Haaland is certain to spell the end of the Brazilian’s time at the Etihad Stadium.
Jesus has been in talks with Arsenal in recent weeks, and a move for the forward may materialize soon.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid were eager to sign Haaland for several months, and with Manchester City making their move, that chance has now slipped away.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side focused on adding Kylian Mbappe, hoping to end a long-standing transfer sagas, and they’ve now missed out on both of the game’s biggest prospects.
The move could come back to haunt them in the near future.