Premier League champions Manchester City have called off their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Haaland, a target for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Premier League leaders Manchester City have withdrawn their interest in Borussia Dortmund’s goal-scoring sensation Erling Haaland, who is also a target for La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Having established himself as one of the hottest strikers in world football, Haaland rapidly became a household name in Europe due to his stellar performances since joining Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020. He has been an absolute goal machine for the Black and Yellows in the last two seasons.
To date, the 21-year-old has racked up a stunning tally of 80 goals and 21 assists in 79 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben. The imperious marksman has already amassed a spectacular record of 16 goals and six assists in 14 Bundesliga outings for Marco Rose’s side this season.
However, the former Red Bull Salzburg attacker could well be bidding farewell to Signal Iduna Park at the end of the season. Indeed, his goal-scoring exploits have put him on the transfer wishlist of every elite European club, including Premier League juggernauts Manchester City.
The Cityzens were understood to be scouring the market for a striker, having failed to replace Sergio Aguero after he departed at the end of last season. They seemed to be in pole position to sign Haaland from Dortmund next summer. However, that does not seem to be the case anymore, with the Mancunian outfit effectively pulling out of the race for Norwegian striker’s signature, as per the report.
Amongst the reasons could be the frosty relations between Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Although it would be a teasing prospect to watch the Norwegian international scoring goals for fun under the Catalan coach, it may just be a sensible decision.
The Cityzens completed the capture of a special talent in Argentine attacker Julian Alvarez last month, while blockbuster summer signing Jack Grealish is also expected to come good next season. Furthermore, Guardiola already boasts a well-balanced, star-studded squad with quality and goals in almost every position.
Elsewhere in Spain, fierce rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid are in a transfer tussle to secure Haaland’s services. With Kylian Mbappe already expected to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, Real Madrid want to bring in Haaland to assemble a Galactico frontline that can dominate Europe for many years to come.
Meanwhile, the Blaugrana have already signed two top-quality forwards in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres in January, but club president Joan Laporta could look to make a serious statement of intent by bringing a world-renowned superstar in Haaland to Camp Nou.
Aside from Real Madrid and Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich are monitoring Haaland’s situation. The 21-year-old is under contract with Dortmund until 2024, with a £64 million buy-out clause understood to come into effect this summer. It will be interesting to see where the Norwegian sensation will be leading the line next season.
