Erling Haaland’s touted move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City is being finalized, with a potential announcement lined up for this week. However, Paul Pogba has declined a free transfer to City.
Haaland’s transfer to City is a “done deal” – says The Athletic’s David Ornstein in his Monday column. The list of admirers for the Norwegian hitman grew shorter this past year, with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea looking elsewhere while Barcelona and Real Madrid being priced out of a move. As such, the Citizens, unchallenged, will trigger the player’s release clause shortly before announcing his imminent arrival.
City reached a deal with the player’s camp last month, paving the way for the clubs to commence a dialogue for the same. Borussia expect the Premier League side to pay Haaland’s release clause – believed to be 75 million euros – which his representatives had inserted in his original deal. The 21-year-old will follow in his father’s footsteps in playing for City; he leaves Dortmund after two-and-a-half years, 88 appearances, and 85 goals (so far).
Unlike Haaland, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba won’t be joining Pep Guardiola’s side despite reports last week claiming that the Citizens were mulling over signing the Frenchman upon the expiration of his contract with rivals Manchester United this summer.
Ornstein reports that Pogba and his camp were considering the “flattering” proposal put forward by City but, in the end, decided against taking it. The France international’s team has since communicated the same to the Premier League champions and has diverted attention to proposals from elsewhere – Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus are among his likeliest destinations, as per the report.
Pogba first arrived in Manchester as a teenager but, failing to break into the first-team at United, left for Juventus on a free transfer. The Red Devils re-signed the Frenchman four years later, albeit this time for a world-record fee. However, inconsistent performances on the pitch matched by his club’s over-arching troubles and off-field concerns have overshadowed his six-year stay at Old Trafford. He leaves, yet again, for free.
