Man City to take immediate action to stave off extraordinary Erling Haaland transfer plot
Manchester City may have already left themselves vulnerable to losing Erling Haaland and interest is building in the Norwegian forward with Barcelona said to have made him a target
by Scott Trotter · The MirrorManchester City are already taken action amid news that Barcelona are considering a move to sign star forward Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian striker's goalscoring has been unparalled since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in a £51.2million deal in 2022. The 24-year-old has notched 101 goals in just 107 matches on the way to two Premier League titles and a Champions League winners' medal.
There was a great deal of interest in Haaland's signature when left Borussia Dortmund and that has not diminished. Spanish outlet Sport claims that Barcelona have now made City's star their 'top priority' ahead of next summer as they look to assemble a team that can dominate La Liga under head coach Hansi Flick.
Understandably, City would be reluctant to sell and Haaland's contract does not expire until 2027. However, as revealed by Mirror Football, a release clause became active in the summer that would enable an overseas club to sign him for £175million.
That figure also drops each summer, leaving City increasingly vulnerable to interest from abroad. Though there may be some doubts whether Barcelona have the required financial position to attain Haaland given their recent financial issues, City have already made resolving Haaland's contract situation a priority.
As early as June, City expressed their desire to sign the Premier League's top scorer to a new contract. The Sky Blues may be sweating over Haaland's desire to extend his stay after his father, Alf-Inge, previously suggested the striker's long-term plan may not include an extensive stay in the North West.
Speaking in the documentary, 'Haaland: The Big Decision', Haaland Sr said: "I think Erling wants to prove his abilities in all leagues. Then he can stay there [Manchester City] for three or four years at the most.
"He could be, for example, two-and-a-half years in Germany, two-and-a-half years in England and then in Spain, Italy, France, right?"
If a move to Barcelona fails to come to fruition, the Catalan club do have alternative plans. Former Barca star Neymar is under consideration with the Brazilian's contract with Al-Hilal expiring at the end of this season.
Neymar would offer a more affordable option as a free agent. The 32-year-old is said to harbour ambitions of featuring in the 2026 World Cup. The ex-PSG star is nearing a return from his cruciate ligament injury and is also reported to be drawing interest from Brazilian outfit Flamengo.
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