Haaland transfer to Manchester City confirmed

Manchester City have reportedly won the heated race to land highly-rated Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland. An agreement has reportedly been reached between the Premier League side and the Norwegian, with an official announcement set to be made next week.

Earlier this year, La Liga champions Real Madrid were believed to be the front-runners to sign Haaland. However, the tide turned in favour of City in recent weeks, with the Spanish giants closing in on their top priority, Kylian Mbappe.

Haaland attracted the attention of Europe's top clubs, but the list was easily narrowed down by his financial demands. Many clubs are still reeling from the pandemic, while others already have fat wage bills that they need to consider.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were also in the running, but it now appears as though Haaland will follow his father's footsteps in donning the Sky Blue shirt. According to Marca, personal terms were settled in April and it's only a matter of time before the official announcement is made.

Manchester City will have no problem activating the release clause, which will earn Borussia Dortmund an estimated 75 million euros (£63 million) plus 10 million euros in add-ons. As for the wages, despite agent Mino Raiola's high hopes of breaking records, Haaland will reportedly be earning in the same bracket as Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian is currently being paid around £385k per week, which would likely be the vicinity of Haaland's new wages. Overall, the financial outlay is significant, making it clear that there only a handful of clubs that could have had a chance.

The deal is said to last for five years until 2027. The transfer is expected to be completed quickly, with the Norwegian set to link up with Pep Guardiola's side for the entire pre-season campaign.