- Adwitya Jha
Reports: Erling Haaland tops Manchester City striker shortlist
The winter transfer window is open, but Manchester City are not expected to make any movement in terms of incomings in this window. Despite having sold Ferran Torres to Barcelona, City believe they have more than enough resources to get through this season.
On the other hand, the summer transfer window is expected to be a potentially big window, with a replacement for Sergio Aguero still on the agenda, as the club failed to replace him last summer.
A new update in the striker chase was provided by David Ornstein of The Athletic today. According to Ornstein, Erling Haaland is the top striker target for City in the summer. The Borussia Dortmund striker is one of the hottest prospects in the football market, and there is a general expectation that the battle for his signature is going to be fierce, with an acceptance that all the top European clubs are going to be involved in the transfer tussle. City are expected to push hard for his signature and are expected to hold meetings with Haaland's representatives in the near future.
Although City have made Haaland their main transfer target, it is not yet clear if the Norwegian will opt for a move to the Etihad Stadium or not. It is believed that Real Madrid shall pose the toughest challenge to City for the 21-year-old's signature. However, City will hope that the seemingly inevitable arrival of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid might dissuade Haaland from joining the Spanish giants.
Ornstein also added in his piece that according to multiple sources, any Barcelona interest for the striker shall only remain as an interest – any serious challenge from Barcelona for Haaland's signature has been dismissed.
It is also believed that Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are potential suitors for his signature, but City may be confident of providing a better and more enticing project than the two clubs. Manchester United are also said to retain an interest, but according to Ornstein, there are doubts as to whether Haaland is keen to make a move to the red side of Manchester.
City also have backup options lined up in case they miss out on landing Haaland, according to the report. Alexander Isak is believed to be on that list, and a viable option for City in the summer. City are also keeping tabs on Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic but might face a similar intense tussle for his signature, much like Haaland.
The Athletic journalist mentions that a move for Harry Kane could also be looked upon if he is available for a price that the Premier League champions feel is fair for a 29-year-old, but he also mentions that in all probability that looks unlikely.
Away from the striker vacancy, Ornstein reports that Pep Guardiola's side are expected to actively search for a left-back and a central midfielder in the summer window.
Written by: @adwitya16
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