Manchester City have activated the Norway striker's release clause and the player will join on July 1 for a total of £85.5m including agents fees and other add-ons; Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said the Haaland deal will "set new levels" in the transfer market
Wednesday 11 May 2022 06:10, UK
Manchester City have confirmed an agreement to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland for £51.1m.
City have paid the 21-year-old's release clause and expect to pay £85.5m in total when agent fees, signing bonus and other costs are taken into account.
Haaland will join City on July 1, subject to the club finalising terms with the player.
Sky Sports News reported the 21-year-old completed his medical on Monday at Hospital Erasme in Brussels.
Haaland has scored 85 goals in 88 matches for Dortmund since joining from RB Salzburg in January 2020. Dortmund host Hertha Berlin in their last game of the season on Saturday.
Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom:
"I've been told the release fee is actually 60m Euros (£51.1m) and the total, including agents' fees and the signing-on fee, is 100m euros (£85.5m).
"When you consider this player on the open market would be going for as much as maybe £100m, that could potentially be a remarkable piece of business for Man City.
"There has been huge excitement as this deal edged closer and closer, and it is a fantastic story for Haaland. I'm sure everyone has seen the photos of him as a kid in a Man City shirt and with his dad playing here between 2000 and 2003 - he has obviously grown up with a real affection for the club.
"And to come back next season and be their No 9 in the week we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of that famous Aguero winner against QPR that won City their first Premier League and they have signed a fantastic goalscorer - 85 goals in 88 appearances for Borussia Dortmund since he went there in 2020, one of the most coveted strikers in world and European football and he is going to be playing in Man City's sky blue next season.
"This is a club who are chasing their fourth Premier League title in five years and I would say that is a pretty daunting statement of intent by Pep Guardiola and Man City."
Sky Sports News Chief Reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
"It is a fantastic signing by Man City, he is the best young striker in Europe at the moment and every big club in Europe wanted to sign him.
"He has chosen to join City, he had his pick of which clubs to join, he could have joined Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Barcelona - but he decided to join City.
"And the reason he did that is because everything is perfect for him there as far as he is concerned - he is going to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world, challenging for trophies, he is going to be working with Pep Guardiola and he is going to be playing in the Premier League.
"And the financial package City are offering him makes it even more attractive. So as far as he is concerned, City tick every box. And as far as City are concerned, if there is any kind of weakness in this City squad, a lot of experts say they just need an out-and-out No 9 - they missed out on Harry Kane last summer, now they have gone out and got Haaland.
"So this is an incredible statement of intent by City, who are not resting on their laurels. Even when they are being so successful, they are still going out and buying the best players out there. Last summer it was Jack Grealish, this time round it is Haaland.
"In a normal transfer market, a player of Haaland's ability and age, is probably worth about £150m and Man City are getting him for his £51m release clause.
"But they are also paying the agents' fees, the bonuses, the signing-on fees, which means in total he is costing them £85m - still you would have to say, for a 21-year-old striker who is as good as he is, this is a very good price.
"Compared to what he would go for in a normal transfer market, if he did not have that release clause then they are getting a very, very good deal.
"Perhaps a discussion to be had another time is the size of the rest of the deal, with £35m going to the agents and bonuses and signing-on fees, although it would be interesting to see the exact breakdown of where that £35m goes, is it all to his representatives, or is some performance-related?"
Dortmund will replace Haaland with Red Bull Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi in a deal worth £30m.
The 20-year-old has scored 23 goals in 42 games this season while also adding eight assists.
Adeyemi arrived at Dortmund airport at around 11am local time on Tuesday on a flight from Salzburg and has signed a deal until June 2027.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the Haaland deal will "set new levels" in the transfer market.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, he said: "I signed a new contract knowing that City would not stop developing. 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.
"If Erling Haaland goes there, it will not weaken them, definitely not. I think there's enough spoken about this transfer. I know there is a lot of talk out there about money, but this transfer will set new levels, let me say it like this."
