Manchester City have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Erling Haaland, as Borussia Dortmund director Michael Zorc says the Bundesliga outfit are planning to keep him “for the long-term”. Pep Guardiola could lose Sergio Aguero at the end of his contract next summer and will need a replacement, but it doesn’t look like Haaland will be available.
Zorc said in a pre-match press conference (h/t Manchester Evening News): “We plan for the long term with Erling. (Rumours) do not have to be dealt with at all. I will see him with us for a long time.” Haaland has made 31 appearances in all competitions since joining BVB on a four-year deal from RB Salzburg, scoring 33 goals with six assists.
The 20-year-old scored 20 goals with six assists in 50 games for Molde FK (2017 – 2019) and scored 29 goals with seven assists in 27 games for Salzburg (2019 – 2020), so he’s been prolific for many years. There’s no doubt Haaland would be a fantastic replacement for Aguero, but the £90m-rated striker is too valuable to Dortmund.
I would love to see the Norwegian international at the Etihad Stadium, but Zorc’s comments suggest we may have to bide our time – we would have to break the bank to sign Haaland and Dortmund have no obligation to cash in so soon.