Manchester City are close to completing a move for Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund after he informed his club that he will be leaving at the end of the season.
Ferran Soriano, Man City CEO informed his counterpart in Dortmund Hans-Joachim Watzke last week that City are ready to activate the striker’s €75m release clause.
The player’s clause stipulates that his transfer fee will have to be paid in one instalments.
Some details are still to be finalised for the deal that is expected to be announced later this week.
Haaland has scored 85 goals in 88 matches for Dortmund since joining from RB Salzburg in January 2020. Dortmund’s last game of the season is on Saturday – at home to Hertha Berlin.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been leading the race to sign the 21-year-old and his release clause means Borussia Dortmund are resigned to losing the striker this summer. The 75m euro fee – which equates to £62m – for Haaland is widely considered to be below market value.
When asked about the club’s interest in the Norwegian last month, Guardiola responded: “[I have] no answer to your question.
“I have no concern or business in my head right now to think about what is going to happen in this club next season.”
City have often played without a recognised striker this season following the exit of club-record goalscorer Sergio Aguero at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
Asked whether his side needs a number nine, Guardiola said: “We are playing with good strikers this season, so I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. It’s next season, so I’m not going to talk [about it].”
Culled from Sky Sports
