ManCitys Bruch mit Haaland

Der Haaland-Transfer ist ein Novum für Manchester City – und könnte für die Premier League noch zum Problem werden. Ein Kommentar.

Bald im gleichen Trikot unterwegs: John Stones und Erling Haaland (re.).

Bald im gleichen Trikot unterwegs: John Stones und Erling Haaland (re.).

picture alliance/dpa

Wenn einer der bestbezahlten Fußballer der Welt als Schnäppchen gefeiert wird, kann man sich nur in der Premier League befinden. Egal, welcher Experte sich am Dienstag in den englischen Medien äußerte – und es waren ziemlich genau alle -, Manchester Citys Verpflichtung von Erling Haaland galt mindestens als großartiger Deal.

“Sehr teuer für die, die es sich nicht leisten können, ein gutes Geschäft für die, die es sich leisten können”, fasste es der “Guardian” zusammen und hätte damit auch den deutschen Immobilienmarkt meinen können.

So jedenfalls gehen Scheren auseinander: zwischen arm und reich, zwischen reich und sehr reich; zwischen der Premier League, die um ein Haar zum zweiten Mal in Serie das Champions-League-Finale unter sich bestritten hätte, und dem Rest von Fußballeuropa; zwischen ManCity, das vielleicht bald zum vierten Mal in fünf Jahren Meister wird, und dem Rest der englischen Liga.

Erstmals kauft ManCity einen Superstar

Denn Haalands Transfer ist selbst für ManCity ein Novum: Teuer waren auch schon andere Neuzugänge, aber erstmals kauft der Abu-Dhabi-Klub einen echten Superstar ein, ohne ihn erst zu einem zu entwickeln. Was im Vorjahr mit Harry Kane scheiterte und diesen Sommer offenbar mit Paul Pogba, lässt sich als Bruch mit der bisherigen Transferpolitik interpretieren, der die nationale Konkurrenz zu distanzieren droht.

“Das ist leider ein sehr guter Transfer”, sagte Liverpool-Trainer Jürgen Klopp am Dienstag. “Sehr gut” für ManCity, “leider” für alle anderen.

Zwar hat die Premier League immer noch eine Ausnahmestellung, weil der Titel nicht schon Wochen vor dem letzten Spieltag vergeben ist und eine Cristiano-Ronaldo-Mannschaft den Europapokal verpassen kann. Doch ihre besondere Form der Ausgeglichenheit, weil ja alle Mitglieder dank ungehemmter Öffnung für Investoren reich sind, bröckelt zunehmend.

Und das sollte auch eine Warnung für alle sein, die sich Ähnliches in der Bundesliga vorstellen können, um die lähmende Bayern-Dominanz zu durchbrechen. Eine Liga, in der alle reicher werden, wird nicht automatisch spannender, sondern erst mal nur automatisch reicher.

Jörn Petersen

'He's a real beast' – Klopp believes Haaland is a 'really good signing' for City

Jurgen Klopp says Manchester City have signed a “beast” in Erling Haaland and believes he is a “really good signing”.

City announced they had reached an agreement to sign the Norwegian striker, who has scored 85 goals in 88 appearances for BVB in all competitions, on Tuesday.

Klopp believes Haaland will benefit greatly from playing for City as he will get lots of goalscoring opportunities.

Premier League

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

9 HOURS AGO

“Good player,” Klopp told reporters after Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday.

“City wasn’t ever and will never be a team that wins games because of one player.

“They have a specific way to play and I think Erling will realise all of a sudden that he can score a lot of goals on the second post. He will love that.

“There will be other situations where he’s a real beast. He’s been injured a couple of times at Dortmund but he’s a real beast.

“Unfortunately, a really good signing.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Haaland is a “world-class” signing for City, but does not think he will guarantee the club success.

He told Sky Sports: “He will score goals – that’s what he has been brought in to do, of course he will. But that doesn’t guarantee that City will win everything.

“They will have to integrate him into the team. That means City will lose a creative player who helps them keep the ball.

“There are lots of questions, including from myself. We will be analysing his performances at City and how he fits in.

“They had a world-class striker a few years ago in Sergio Aguero and they have another one now.”

Marsch: ‘Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world’

Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, who was manager of RB Salzburg for Haaland’s last six months at the Austrian club before the striker moved to Dortmund, said he wished he was joining him at the Yorkshire club.

“Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world,” he said.

“It’s his quality but also his talent. I wish he was coming home to Leeds, his birthplace.

“I understand the decision to go to Manchester City. He can play any style of play but certainly I think he makes Manchester City – one of the best teams in the world, if not the best – even better.”

Premier League

Klopp praises matchwinner Mane as ‘a massive player’

19 HOURS AGO

Premier League

Mane winner sees Liverpool go back level with City, behind on goal difference

A DAY AGO

'He's a real beast' – Klopp believes Haaland is a 'really good signing' for City

Jurgen Klopp says Manchester City have signed a “beast” in Erling Haaland and believes he is a “really good signing”.

City announced they had reached an agreement to sign the Norwegian striker, who has scored 85 goals in 88 appearances for BVB in all competitions, on Tuesday.

Klopp believes Haaland will benefit greatly from playing for City as he will get lots of goalscoring opportunities.

Premier League

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

7 HOURS AGO

“Good player,” Klopp told reporters after Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday.

“City wasn’t ever and will never be a team that wins games because of one player.

“They have a specific way to play and I think Erling will realise all of a sudden that he can score a lot of goals on the second post. He will love that.

“There will be other situations where he’s a real beast. He’s been injured a couple of times at Dortmund but he’s a real beast.

“Unfortunately, a really good signing.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Haaland is a “world-class” signing for City, but does not think he will guarantee the club success.

He told Sky Sports: “He will score goals – that’s what he has been brought in to do, of course he will. But that doesn’t guarantee that City will win everything.

“They will have to integrate him into the team. That means City will lose a creative player who helps them keep the ball.

“There are lots of questions, including from myself. We will be analysing his performances at City and how he fits in.

“They had a world-class striker a few years ago in Sergio Aguero and they have another one now.”

Marsch: ‘Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world’

Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, who was manager of RB Salzburg for Haaland’s last six months at the Austrian club before the striker moved to Dortmund, said he wished he was joining him at the Yorkshire club.

“Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world,” he said.

“It’s his quality but also his talent. I wish he was coming home to Leeds, his birthplace.

“I understand the decision to go to Manchester City. He can play any style of play but certainly I think he makes Manchester City – one of the best teams in the world, if not the best – even better.”

Premier League

Klopp praises matchwinner Mane as ‘a massive player’

16 HOURS AGO

Premier League

Mane winner sees Liverpool go back level with City, behind on goal difference

20 HOURS AGO

'He's a real beast' – Klopp believes Haaland is a 'really good signing' for City

Jurgen Klopp says Manchester City have signed a “beast” in Erling Haaland and believes he is a “really good signing”.

City announced they had reached an agreement to sign the Norwegian striker, who has scored 85 goals in 88 appearances for BVB in all competitions, on Tuesday.

Klopp believes Haaland will benefit greatly from playing for City as he will get lots of goalscoring opportunities.

Premier League

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

7 HOURS AGO

“Good player,” Klopp told reporters after Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday.

“City wasn’t ever and will never be a team that wins games because of one player.

“They have a specific way to play and I think Erling will realise all of a sudden that he can score a lot of goals on the second post. He will love that.

“There will be other situations where he’s a real beast. He’s been injured a couple of times at Dortmund but he’s a real beast.

“Unfortunately, a really good signing.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Haaland is a “world-class” signing for City, but does not think he will guarantee the club success.

He told Sky Sports: “He will score goals – that’s what he has been brought in to do, of course he will. But that doesn’t guarantee that City will win everything.

“They will have to integrate him into the team. That means City will lose a creative player who helps them keep the ball.

“There are lots of questions, including from myself. We will be analysing his performances at City and how he fits in.

“They had a world-class striker a few years ago in Sergio Aguero and they have another one now.”

Marsch: ‘Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world’

Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, who was manager of RB Salzburg for Haaland’s last six months at the Austrian club before the striker moved to Dortmund, said he wished he was joining him at the Yorkshire club.

“Erling Haaland is destined to be one of the best players in the world,” he said.

“It’s his quality but also his talent. I wish he was coming home to Leeds, his birthplace.

“I understand the decision to go to Manchester City. He can play any style of play but certainly I think he makes Manchester City – one of the best teams in the world, if not the best – even better.”

Premier League

Klopp praises matchwinner Mane as ‘a massive player’

17 HOURS AGO

Premier League

Mane winner sees Liverpool go back level with City, behind on goal difference

20 HOURS AGO

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

Wednesday’s big stories

Haaland represents a huge risk for Guardiola

Erling Haaland’s goalscoring record indicates that he is a near-guarantee of goals. Since his debut, he has scored 154 in 199 games. And, yet, his signing constitutes a sizable risk for Manchester City and, most notably, Pep Guardiola.

Premier League

‘He’s a real beast’ – Klopp believes Haaland is a ‘really good signing’ for City

5 HOURS AGO

The reason is two-fold. Firstly, and most crucially, for his acquisition to be deemed a true success, City must win the Champions League. Secondly, stylistically, he does not fit this Manchester City team in its current possession-first guise.

The Catalan has built his managerial career and success on ball possession. It has served him well. He has won everything – but last won Europe’s premier trophy in 2011.

Haaland, as a truly elite goalscorer, has shown a laser-like focus on hitting the back of the net, and little interest in playmaking. That is fine as, to state the obvious, he is a striker, whose primary job is to score goals. However, Guardiola has never seen that role’s sole purpose as just that. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero provide evidence of this fact.

So, why sign Haaland?

It looks like City are about to win the league for the fourth time in five years, but have, by their standards, struggled in cup competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, and the fourth round of the League Cup. Thus, the following conclusion can be drawn: over the course of the season, City’s pure weight of talent pays dividends in the league.

Guardiola’s cabal of midfield passers bludgeons a league into submission, but cup competitions – read the Champions League – are slightly different. One game of missed gilt-edged chances – say against Real Madrid in a first-leg semi-final at the Etihad – can – and this season did – prove fatal to City’s, and, more pertinently, Guardiola’s hopes of finally getting their hands on that Champions League trophy.

And, thus, like Sir Alex Ferguson did before him with Juan Sebastian Veron, Guardiola has bet the house on a player who is not necessarily suited to his style of play, but whose excellence could see City extend their domestic dominance to Europe.

However, for this to happen either City – read Guardiola – or Haaland need to adapt. It represents a huge risk.

Give the Ballon d’Or to the excellent, incomparable Sadio Mane

City, as stated above, will more than likely make it four league wins in five seasons. And, yet, if they don’t, Sadio Mane will have played a central and crucial role in wrestling that title from the Etihad club.

He was at it again on Tuesday night, craning his head back to arrow a Luis Diaz centre past Emi Martinez in Aston Villa’s goal to secure the comeback 2-1 win that draws them level with Manchester City at the top of the table having played a game more.

Mane has been nothing short of inspirational since he helped guide Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations success in February. And come May 28 Mane could have won the Africa Cup of Nations, the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League.

Being in that position in May, and having contributed to it so vastly, makes Mane the standout candidate for the Ballon d’Or this.

‘It was massive’ – Klopp on win over Villa as Premier League title race intensifies

Manchester United finally listen to Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho said the below in 2019 after taking Manchester United to second in the Premier League the previous season.

“If I tell you, for example, that I consider one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second with Man United in the Premier League, you will say, ‘this guy is crazy,'” Mourinho said.

“I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.”

It was a classic from the Mourinho genre. It seemed hyperbole then, and a deflection of his own shortcomings. And, yet, perhaps the Portuguese was right – not necessarily about it being one of the best jobs of his career; winning the Champions League with Porto, or the treble with Inter or conceding barely a goal with Chelsea in their first title-winning season under the Portuguese would constitute that.

However, there have been movements behind the scenes at United ahead of the appointment of Erik ten Hag that suggest an admission that something was in fact “going on behind the scenes”.

The club’s chief strategy officer, Hemen Tseayo, left the club on Tuesday, and, in doing so, joined Matt Judge, director of football negotiations, Jim Lawlor, chief scout, and Marcel Bout, head of global scouting in leaving the backroom structure as new CEO Richard Arnold looks to stamp his authority on the club.

A successful club needs a streamlined, well-oiled operation at the boardroom level. Manchester City have it, Liverpool have it and so too do, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid. PSG and United do not while the jury is still out on Barcelona given their recent upheaval.

If United can get the behind-the-scenes stuff right, then they will once again become a force to be reckoned with.

IN THE CHANNELS

Decent patter here from Danny Welbeck.

COMING UP

A serious selection of Premier League football. Leeds v Chelsea, Watford v Everton and Wolves v Man City.

Andi Thomas will be here tomorrow to pick through that.

Transfers

Haaland transfer confirmed with forward to join Manchester City, Dortmund to sign Adeyemi

A DAY AGO

Transfers

Guardiola refuses to talk about Haaland transfer until deal ‘completely done’

YESTERDAY AT 13:52

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

Wednesday’s big stories

Haaland represents a huge risk for Guardiola

Erling Haaland’s goalscoring record indicates that he is a near-guarantee of goals. Since his debut, he has scored 154 in 199 games. And, yet, his signing constitutes a sizable risk for Manchester City and, most notably, Pep Guardiola.

Premier League

‘He’s a real beast’ – Klopp believes Haaland is a ‘really good signing’ for City

8 HOURS AGO

The reason is two-fold. Firstly, and most crucially, for his acquisition to be deemed a true success, City must win the Champions League. Secondly, stylistically, he does not fit this Manchester City team in its current possession-first guise.

The Catalan has built his managerial career and success on ball possession. It has served him well. He has won everything – but last won Europe’s premier trophy in 2011.

Haaland, as a truly elite goalscorer, has shown a laser-like focus on hitting the back of the net, and little interest in playmaking. That is fine as, to state the obvious, he is a striker, whose primary job is to score goals. However, Guardiola has never seen that role’s sole purpose as just that. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero provide evidence of this fact.

So, why sign Haaland?

It looks like City are about to win the league for the fourth time in five years, but have, by their standards, struggled in cup competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, and the fourth round of the League Cup. Thus, the following conclusion can be drawn: over the course of the season, City’s pure weight of talent pays dividends in the league.

Guardiola’s cabal of midfield passers bludgeons a league into submission, but cup competitions – read the Champions League – are slightly different. One game of missed gilt-edged chances – say against Real Madrid in a first-leg semi-final at the Etihad – can – and this season did – prove fatal to City’s, and, more pertinently, Guardiola’s hopes of finally getting their hands on that Champions League trophy.

And, thus, like Sir Alex Ferguson did before him with Juan Sebastian Veron, Guardiola has bet the house on a player who is not necessarily suited to his style of play, but whose excellence could see City extend their domestic dominance to Europe.

However, for this to happen either City – read Guardiola – or Haaland need to adapt. It represents a huge risk.

Give the Ballon d’Or to the excellent, incomparable Sadio Mane

City, as stated above, will more than likely make it four league wins in five seasons. And, yet, if they don’t, Sadio Mane will have played a central and crucial role in wrestling that title from the Etihad club.

He was at it again on Tuesday night, craning his head back to arrow a Luis Diaz centre past Emi Martinez in Aston Villa’s goal to secure the comeback 2-1 win that draws them level with Manchester City at the top of the table having played a game more.

Mane has been nothing short of inspirational since he helped guide Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations success in February. And come May 28 Mane could have won the Africa Cup of Nations, the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League.

Being in that position in May, and having contributed to it so vastly, makes Mane the standout candidate for the Ballon d’Or this.

‘It was massive’ – Klopp on win over Villa as Premier League title race intensifies

Manchester United finally listen to Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho said the below in 2019 after taking Manchester United to second in the Premier League the previous season.

“If I tell you, for example, that I consider one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second with Man United in the Premier League, you will say, ‘this guy is crazy,'” Mourinho said.

“I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.”

It was a classic from the Mourinho genre. It seemed hyperbole then, and a deflection of his own shortcomings. And, yet, perhaps the Portuguese was right – not necessarily about it being one of the best jobs of his career; winning the Champions League with Porto, or the treble with Inter or conceding barely a goal with Chelsea in their first title-winning season under the Portuguese would constitute that.

However, there have been movements behind the scenes at United ahead of the appointment of Erik ten Hag that suggest an admission that something was in fact “going on behind the scenes”.

The club’s chief strategy officer, Hemen Tseayo, left the club on Tuesday, and, in doing so, joined Matt Judge, director of football negotiations, Jim Lawlor, chief scout, and Marcel Bout, head of global scouting in leaving the backroom structure as new CEO Richard Arnold looks to stamp his authority on the club.

A successful club needs a streamlined, well-oiled operation at the boardroom level. Manchester City have it, Liverpool have it and so too do, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid. PSG and United do not while the jury is still out on Barcelona given their recent upheaval.

If United can get the behind-the-scenes stuff right, then they will once again become a force to be reckoned with.

IN THE CHANNELS

Decent patter here from Danny Welbeck.

COMING UP

A serious selection of Premier League football. Leeds v Chelsea, Watford v Everton and Wolves v Man City.

Andi Thomas will be here tomorrow to pick through that.

Transfers

Haaland transfer confirmed with forward to join Manchester City, Dortmund to sign Adeyemi

YESTERDAY AT 14:35

Transfers

Guardiola refuses to talk about Haaland transfer until deal ‘completely done’

YESTERDAY AT 13:52

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

Wednesday’s big stories

Haaland represents a huge risk for Guardiola

Erling Haaland’s goalscoring record indicates that he is a near-guarantee of goals. Since his debut, he has scored 154 in 199 games. And, yet, his signing constitutes a sizable risk for Manchester City and, most notably, Pep Guardiola.

Transfers

Haaland transfer confirmed with forward to join Manchester City, Dortmund to sign Adeyemi

17 HOURS AGO

The reason is two-fold. Firstly, and most crucially, for his acquisition to be deemed a true success, City must win the Champions League. Secondly, stylistically, he does not fit this Manchester City team in its current possession-first guise.

The Catalan has built his managerial career and success on ball possession. It has served him well. He has won everything – but last won Europe’s premier trophy in 2011.

Haaland, as a truly elite goalscorer, has shown a laser-like focus on hitting the back of the net, and little interest in playmaking. That is fine as, to state the obvious, he is a striker, whose primary job is to score goals. However, Guardiola has never seen that role’s sole purpose as just that. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero provide evidence of this fact.

So, why sign Haaland?

It looks like City are about to win the league for the fourth time in five years, but have, by their standards, struggled in cup competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, and the fourth round of the League Cup. Thus, the following conclusion can be drawn: over the course of the season, City’s pure weight of talent pays dividends in the league.

Guardiola’s cabal of midfield passers bludgeons a league into submission, but cup competitions – read the Champions League – are slightly different. One game of missed gilt-edged chances – say against Real Madrid in a first-leg semi-final at the Etihad – can – and this season did – prove fatal to City’s, and, more pertinently, Guardiola’s hopes of finally getting their hands on that Champions League trophy.

And, thus, like Sir Alex Ferguson did before him with Juan Sebastian Veron, Guardiola has bet the house on a player who is not necessarily suited to his style of play, but whose excellence could see City extend their domestic dominance to Europe.

However, for this to happen either City – read Guardiola – or Haaland need to adapt. It represents a huge risk.

Give the Ballon d’Or to the excellent, incomparable Sadio Mane

City, as stated above, will more than likely make it four league wins in five seasons. And, yet, if they don’t, Sadio Mane will have played a central and crucial role in wrestling that title from the Etihad club.

He was at it again on Tuesday night, craning his head back to arrow a Luis Diaz centre past Emi Martinez in Aston Villa’s goal to secure the comeback 2-1 win that draws them level with Manchester City at the top of the table having played a game more.

Mane has been nothing short of inspirational since he helped guide Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations success in February. And come May 28 Mane could have won the Africa Cup of Nations, the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League.

Being in that position in May, and having contributed to it so vastly, makes Mane the standout candidate for the Ballon d’Or this.

Manchester United finally listen to Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho said the below in 2019 after taking Manchester United to second in the Premier League the previous season.

“If I tell you, for example, that I consider one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second with Man United in the Premier League, you will say, ‘this guy is crazy,'” Mourinho said.

“I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.”

It was a classic from the Mourinho genre. It seemed hyperbole then, and a deflection of his own shortcomings. And, yet, perhaps the Portuguese was right – not necessarily about it being one of the best jobs of his career; winning the Champions League with Porto, or the treble with Inter or conceding barely a goal with Chelsea in their first title-winning season under the Portuguese would constitute that.

However, there have been movements behind the scenes at United ahead of the appointment of Erik ten Hag that suggest an admission that something was in fact “going on behind the scenes”.

The club’s chief strategy officer, Hemen Tseayo, left the club on Tuesday, and, in doing so, joined Matt Judge, director of football negotiations, Jim Lawlor, chief scout, and Marcel Bout, head of global scouting in leaving the backroom structure as new CEO Richard Arnold looks to stamp his authority on the club.

A successful club needs a streamlined, well-oiled operation at the boardroom level. Manchester City have it, Liverpool have it and so too do, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid. PSG and United do not while the jury is still out on Barcelona given their recent upheaval.

If United can get the behind-the-scenes stuff right, then they will once again become a force to be reckoned with.

IN THE CHANNELS

Decent patter here from Danny Welbeck.

COMING UP

A serious selection of Premier League football. Leeds v Chelsea, Watford v Everton and Wolves v Man City.

Andi Thomas will be here tomorrow to pick through that.

Transfers

Guardiola refuses to talk about Haaland transfer until deal ‘completely done’

18 HOURS AGO

UEFA Europa Conference League

Mourinho admits ‘hurt’ over Spurs sacking but insists he is happy at Roma

A DAY AGO

City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

Wednesday’s big stories

Haaland represents a huge risk for Guardiola

Erling Haaland’s goalscoring record indicates that he is a near-guarantee of goals. Since his debut, he has scored 154 in 199 games. And, yet, his signing constitutes a sizable risk for Manchester City and, most notably, Pep Guardiola.

Transfers

Haaland transfer confirmed with forward to join Manchester City, Dortmund to sign Adeyemi

18 HOURS AGO

The reason is two-fold. Firstly, and most crucially, for his acquisition to be deemed a true success, City must win the Champions League. Secondly, stylistically, he does not fit this Manchester City team in its current possession-first guise.

The Catalan has built his managerial career and success on ball possession. It has served him well. He has won everything – but last won Europe’s premier trophy in 2011.

Haaland, as a truly elite goalscorer, has shown a laser-like focus on hitting the back of the net, and little interest in playmaking. That is fine as, to state the obvious, he is a striker, whose primary job is to score goals. However, Guardiola has never seen that role’s sole purpose as just that. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero provide evidence of this fact.

So, why sign Haaland?

It looks like City are about to win the league for the fourth time in five years, but have, by their standards, struggled in cup competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, and the fourth round of the League Cup. Thus, the following conclusion can be drawn: over the course of the season, City’s pure weight of talent pays dividends in the league.

Guardiola’s cabal of midfield passers bludgeons a league into submission, but cup competitions – read the Champions League – are slightly different. One game of missed gilt-edged chances – say against Real Madrid in a first-leg semi-final at the Etihad – can – and this season did – prove fatal to City’s, and, more pertinently, Guardiola’s hopes of finally getting their hands on that Champions League trophy.

And, thus, like Sir Alex Ferguson did before him with Juan Sebastian Veron, Guardiola has bet the house on a player who is not necessarily suited to his style of play, but whose excellence could see City extend their domestic dominance to Europe.

However, for this to happen either City – read Guardiola – or Haaland need to adapt. It represents a huge risk.

Give the Ballon d’Or to the excellent, incomparable Sadio Mane

City, as stated above, will more than likely make it four league wins in five seasons. And, yet, if they don’t, Sadio Mane will have played a central and crucial role in wrestling that title from the Etihad club.

He was at it again on Tuesday night, craning his head back to arrow a Luis Diaz centre past Emi Martinez in Aston Villa’s goal to secure the comeback 2-1 win that draws them level with Manchester City at the top of the table having played a game more.

Mane has been nothing short of inspirational since he helped guide Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations success in February. And come May 28 Mane could have won the Africa Cup of Nations, the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League.

Being in that position in May, and having contributed to it so vastly, makes Mane the standout candidate for the Ballon d’Or this.

‘It was massive’ – Klopp on win over Villa as Premier League title race intensifies

Manchester United finally listen to Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho said the below in 2019 after taking Manchester United to second in the Premier League the previous season.

“If I tell you, for example, that I consider one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second with Man United in the Premier League, you will say, ‘this guy is crazy,'” Mourinho said.

“I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.”

It was a classic from the Mourinho genre. It seemed hyperbole then, and a deflection of his own shortcomings. And, yet, perhaps the Portuguese was right – not necessarily about it being one of the best jobs of his career; winning the Champions League with Porto, or the treble with Inter or conceding barely a goal with Chelsea in their first title-winning season under the Portuguese would constitute that.

However, there have been movements behind the scenes at United ahead of the appointment of Erik ten Hag that suggest an admission that something was in fact “going on behind the scenes”.

The club’s chief strategy officer, Hemen Tseayo, left the club on Tuesday, and, in doing so, joined Matt Judge, director of football negotiations, Jim Lawlor, chief scout, and Marcel Bout, head of global scouting in leaving the backroom structure as new CEO Richard Arnold looks to stamp his authority on the club.

A successful club needs a streamlined, well-oiled operation at the boardroom level. Manchester City have it, Liverpool have it and so too do, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid. PSG and United do not while the jury is still out on Barcelona given their recent upheaval.

If United can get the behind-the-scenes stuff right, then they will once again become a force to be reckoned with.

IN THE CHANNELS

Decent patter here from Danny Welbeck.

COMING UP

A serious selection of Premier League football. Leeds v Chelsea, Watford v Everton and Wolves v Man City.

Andi Thomas will be here tomorrow to pick through that.

Transfers

Guardiola refuses to talk about Haaland transfer until deal ‘completely done’

18 HOURS AGO

UEFA Europa Conference League

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City and Guardiola bet it all on Haaland – The Warm-Up

Wednesday’s big stories

Haaland represents a huge risk for Guardiola

Erling Haaland’s goalscoring record indicates that he is a near-guarantee of goals. Since his debut, he has scored 154 in 199 games. And, yet, his signing constitutes a sizable risk for Manchester City and, most notably, Pep Guardiola.

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The reason is two-fold. Firstly, and most crucially, for his acquisition to be deemed a true success, City must win the Champions League. Secondly, stylistically, he does not fit this Manchester City team in its current possession-first guise.

The Catalan has built his managerial career and success on ball possession. It has served him well. He has won everything – but last won Europe’s premier trophy in 2011.

Haaland, as a truly elite goalscorer, has shown a laser-like focus on hitting the back of the net, and little interest in playmaking. That is fine as, to state the obvious, he is a striker, whose primary job is to score goals. However, Guardiola has never seen that role’s sole purpose as just that. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero provide evidence of this fact.

So, why sign Haaland?

It looks like City are about to win the league for the fourth time in five years, but have, by their standards, struggled in cup competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, and the fourth round of the League Cup. Thus, the following conclusion can be drawn: over the course of the season, City’s pure weight of talent pays dividends in the league.

Guardiola’s cabal of midfield passers bludgeons a league into submission, but cup competitions – read the Champions League – are slightly different. One game of missed gilt-edged chances – say against Real Madrid in a first-leg semi-final at the Etihad – can – and this season did – prove fatal to City’s, and, more pertinently, Guardiola’s hopes of finally getting their hands on that Champions League trophy.

And, thus, like Sir Alex Ferguson did before him with Juan Sebastian Veron, Guardiola has bet the house on a player who is not necessarily suited to his style of play, but whose excellence could see City extend their domestic dominance to Europe.

However, for this to happen either City – read Guardiola – or Haaland need to adapt. It represents a huge risk.

Give the Ballon d’Or to the excellent, incomparable Sadio Mane

City, as stated above, will more than likely make it four league wins in five seasons. And, yet, if they don’t, Sadio Mane will have played a central and crucial role in wrestling that title from the Etihad club.

He was at it again on Tuesday night, craning his head back to arrow a Luis Diaz centre past Emi Martinez in Aston Villa’s goal to secure the comeback 2-1 win that draws them level with Manchester City at the top of the table having played a game more.

Mane has been nothing short of inspirational since he helped guide Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations success in February. And come May 28 Mane could have won the Africa Cup of Nations, the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League.

Being in that position in May, and having contributed to it so vastly, makes Mane the standout candidate for the Ballon d’Or this.

‘It was massive’ – Klopp on win over Villa as Premier League title race intensifies

Manchester United finally listen to Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho said the below in 2019 after taking Manchester United to second in the Premier League the previous season.

“If I tell you, for example, that I consider one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second with Man United in the Premier League, you will say, ‘this guy is crazy,'” Mourinho said.

“I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.”

It was a classic from the Mourinho genre. It seemed hyperbole then, and a deflection of his own shortcomings. And, yet, perhaps the Portuguese was right – not necessarily about it being one of the best jobs of his career; winning the Champions League with Porto, or the treble with Inter or conceding barely a goal with Chelsea in their first title-winning season under the Portuguese would constitute that.

However, there have been movements behind the scenes at United ahead of the appointment of Erik ten Hag that suggest an admission that something was in fact “going on behind the scenes”.

The club’s chief strategy officer, Hemen Tseayo, left the club on Tuesday, and, in doing so, joined Matt Judge, director of football negotiations, Jim Lawlor, chief scout, and Marcel Bout, head of global scouting in leaving the backroom structure as new CEO Richard Arnold looks to stamp his authority on the club.

A successful club needs a streamlined, well-oiled operation at the boardroom level. Manchester City have it, Liverpool have it and so too do, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid. PSG and United do not while the jury is still out on Barcelona given their recent upheaval.

If United can get the behind-the-scenes stuff right, then they will once again become a force to be reckoned with.

IN THE CHANNELS

Decent patter here from Danny Welbeck.

COMING UP

A serious selection of Premier League football. Leeds v Chelsea, Watford v Everton and Wolves v Man City.

Andi Thomas will be here tomorrow to pick through that.

Transfers

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Transfers

Guardiola refuses to talk about Haaland transfer until deal ‘completely done’

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Haaland 'passes City medical’ as Klopp says massive deal will 'set new levels'

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has completed his Manchester City medical, according to reports, and the transfer is set to be confirmed this week.

City are reportedly set to trigger the Norway international’s €75m (£63m) release clause after seeing off competition from Real Madrid.

Dortmund confirmed to SPORT1 earlier on Monday that they had given Haaland permission to take care of “personal matters”.

Football

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“The players have no training today and we allowed Erling to take care of personal matters,” a club statement read.

Belgian outlets DH les Sports+ and Nieuwsblad.be reported that the 21-year-old travelled to Brussels, Belgium, early on Monday to undergo his City medical at the Erasmus Hospital.

Haaland is expected to sign a five-year contract believed to be worth £107m, including signing on bonuses, and the overall cost of the deal could total £213m.

Haaland is set to be one of the club’s top earners, although reports differ over whether he will be paid more than Kevin De Bruyne.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says City potentially signing Haaland can push the transfer market to “new levels”.

“I signed a new contract knowing that City would not stop developing,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s not about City to define if we can be happy or not. It’s about us and what we can make of it. We have so many opportunities and so many different ways to win a football game and that we have to choose one and it’s possible that we can do that.

“If they sign Erling it will not weaken them. It’s often spoken about his transfer.

“At the moment there’s a lot of talk about Erling and other people talk about money but this transfer will set new levels.”

Haaland has scored has scored 92 league goals in 121 appearances for Molde, Red Bull Salzburg and Dortmund in his career.

Bundesliga

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Transfers

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