After gaining a grounding in his home country with Molde, the striker has since played top flight football in Austria, Germany and England. With each of his last three clubs, he’s registered a scoring average of close to a goal every game.
He’s now an important part of the Manchester City squad, but rumours continue to link Erling Haaland with yet another transfer.
Would you bet on a Haaland sale?
It seems hard to believe that Erling Haaland would leave the EPL after just one season with Manchester City. There are, however, a number of transfer stories linking the Norwegian with a move away from the club.
There are some potential reasons as to why the player may want another transfer. There is, of course, the chance of claiming higher wages at one of the richest outfits in the world. Depending on the likely new destination, he may also look to link up with other top players in the game.
Those clubs have been tracking Erling Haaland’s progress since his very early days in Norway. He made his professional debut in 2016 with Bryne, but he didn’t really make a mark on football until switching to Molde.
In 2018, his final season in the Norwegian top flight division, Erling Haaland scored 12 goals in 25 league games. It was enough for Red Bull Salzburg to be alerted and the Austrian club signed the striker ahead of the 2018/19 season.
After four prolific years split between Austria and Germany, Manchester City triggered the Norwegian’s release clause and signed him from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. After scoring 28 goals in his first 26 league games in England, Haaland is looking to help his City side secure another EPL title.
According to odds from the best betting sites in Norway as sourced by svindel.info, leaders Arsenal are favourites for the title. Those same betting sites quote Manchester City as second favourites and Erling Haaland’s goals will be needed to drive them forward.
City’s Loss?
Most neutral observers and many Manchester City fans would see Erling Haaland’s departure as a big loss. They may well be right, but it’s worth considering the make up of the City team that won the Premier League in 2021/22.
Having missed out on signing Tottenham Hotspur’s prolific Harry Kane, Pep Guardiola set the team up without a recognised striker. The absence of a front man was no barrier to the side with goals supplied on a regular basis from attacking midfielders such as Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne.
City could take that approach again, or they could enter the market and look for a replacement centre forward. Victor Osimhen at Napoli has enjoyed a spectacular season as his club aims to close in on the Serie A title.
Nigerian international Osimhen has been widely linked with a move to England in the summer of 2023, and some media reports are quoting The Etihad as a possible destination.
Could Haaland be effectively replaced? There are some promising young strikers in world football right now, but few could hope to emulate the Norwegian’s statistics. In his first 26 league games for his English club, he has found the net on no fewer than 28 occasions.
Across all competitions, Erling Haaland has scored 42 goals in 37 games for City. His absence would certainly be a blow, but those transfer rumours persist.
Destination Paris?
There are very few clubs in world football that could afford Erling Haaland if he were to be made available for transfer. The stories that currently exist tend to focus on Paris Saint-Germain where the Norwegian international would link up with another world class striker, Kylian Mbappe.
Like Manchester City, PSG have won all they need to in domestic football. They are the dominant force in Ligue Un, but they are desperate to add the elusive Champions League to their overflowing trophy cabinet.
After helping his national team to the World Cup final in Qatar, Kylian Mbappe has enjoyed another productive season at club level. In 33 games in all competitions, he’s scored 31 goals.
The Ligue Un table shows that the Paris side are coasting to another domestic title. In the Champions League, however, PSG were dumped out of the competition at the Round of 16 stage by Bayern Munich.
The UCL is the Holy Grail for the club’s owners and that’s a significant reason why Paris Saint-Germain are being heavily linked to Erling Haaland.
Real Interest
Another possible destination for Norway’s greatest striker is Real Madrid. The Spanish side are another club to have broken transfer records in recent seasons, and they are one of the few to be able to cover Haaland’s fee and wages.
There are no issues with winning Champions League titles here. In fact, Real are the most successful side in the history of the competition. The La Liga giants will, however, look to strengthen their squad in order to fend off the challenges at home by the likes of great rivals Barcelona.
Naturally, the desire to add to their haul of Champions League trophies could also help to get this deal over the line.
Real Madrid’s list of leading scorers for this season offers a clue as to what they may do in the summer. Goals have been shared around the team, but Real are missing a prolific striker. Vinicius Junior is the overall top scorer, but his record of 17 goals in 35 games isn’t exactly stunning.
Karim Benzema has a better ratio with 15 goals in 23 games, but there is a gap there for a player of Erling Haaland’s quality.
What’s Next for Erling Haaland?
It’s also possible that cash-rich clubs from areas such as the USA or Saudi Arabia may come in for Norway’s Erling Haaland. They may be able to afford his price tag, but their top flight divisions are not as competitive.
At the age of 22, the striker should still be looking to test himself in the best leagues in Europe. Staying at Manchester City remains an obvious option and many would say that this is his best move.
In the future, PSG and Real Madrid may prove too tempting to turn down, but he’s still young and still learning his trade. Expect Norwegian international Erling Haaland to link up with the likes of Kylian Mbappe at some stage, but it may be too early for a switch to take place right now.
