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The landscape of English and European football was altered on Tuesday when Manchester City clinched the signing of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian 21-year-old has had a deal in principal reached by the current champions after activating the strikers release clause with the player joining in a £51 million deal with a total of £85.5 million including agents fees and other add ons.
Whether this ends up being a masterful bit of business or not, only time will tell. However, on the face of it, this is a wonderful signing for City, adding yet another world class player to their roster and arguably one of the generational talents of the current era.
Haaland appears to be the missing piece in the Manchester City jigsaw. Few will argue that this City side have goals in them and always have had. However, by signing the Norwegian he will give City that little bit of cutting edge that sometimes they have lacked this season.
The front three of City have plenty of goals in them on a normal day, but the Manchester club have been lacking a serious quality striker to take them to that next level of dominance. By signing the youngster who has excited the footballing world for the past few seasons, Pep Guardiola and Co. hope to fill this void and achieve the goal of building a side that is dominant both domestically and continentally.
Some will argue that this is to be Haaland’s biggest challenge yet, and there is certain to be a microscope on every minniscule action the Norwegian takes upon his arrival, whether that be on the field or off it.
Many English fans and pundits alike have started to criticise the level of the German Bundesliga, labelling it as a ‘one team league’ with reference to Bayern Munich.
One instance is Chelsea’s Timo Werner who arrived with a fantastic goalscoring record for RB Leipzig in Germany. Werner has already shown that you don’t necessarily hit the ground running straight away, with the striker somewhat disappointing in his opening season with the Blues and still showing signs of adjusting to the pace and style of the Premier League.
The one advantage that Haaland will have is that he is the type of player that will put pressure on defenders in a way that none of the current City forwards do. He will also offer a big threat from crosses and will hold up play very well.
Haaland is also a player that doesn’t just score the simple goals, he has a fine record of scoring some exceptional goals and crucial ones at the right time. His finishing is excellent which will improve a City side that still tend to miss a lot of chances.
Additionally, the 21-year-old’s record in the Champions League also warrants a mention, which could prove vital for a City side still searching for their allusive maiden European success.
The signing also sends out a massive statement of intent to all their rivals, and proves a scary prospect for all who may stand in their way.
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