Before joining Manchester City, Erling Haaland bids farewell to his teammates and fans at Borussia Dortmund.
Erling Haaland Bids A Farewell To Borussia Dortmund Before Joining Manchester City
It was reported earlier this week that the Bundesliga club had given their star player some time off to complete the transfer and that he had his medical on Monday.
The 21-year-old striker is thought to have agreed to a five-year contract at a base salary of £350,000 per week plus hefty bonuses.
Haaland, 21, will join City on July 1 after a £51 million release clause in his Dortmund contract was activated by City.
The Leeds-born striker has 85 goals in 88 games for the German side, while his overall career record is 154 goals in 199 appearances for all of his clubs.
On the final day of the regular Bundesliga season, the striker made his final appearance for the German giants in a home encounter against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Dortmund was determined to give Haaland a proper send-off. The team gathered ahead of kickoff to applaud the striker during a pitch presentation. Erling Haaland has said his final goodbyes to Borussia Dortmund before joining Manchester City this summer.
He then strolled over Signal Iduna Park’s renowned ‘Yellow Wall’ to thank them for their support.
After waving to the Dortmund fans, Haaland led a chant with the home fans, which elicited applause across the stadium.
Haaland would go on to score a penalty in Dortmund’s 2-1 victory, giving him a total of 86 goals in 89 appearances for the club.
City announced on Tuesday that they had reached a deal with Dortmund for Haaland’s summer transfer.
“Manchester City can confirm that we have achieved an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the Club on July 1, 2022,” the club said in a statement.
“The transfer is dependant on the Club and the player agreeing to terms.”
When agent fees, a signing bonus, and other expenditures are factored in, City expects to pay £85.5 million for Haaland.
Meanwhile, Haaland is expected to become one of the club’s highest-paid players, with estimates suggesting he will make £21 million every season at the Etihad.
City’s likely signing of Haaland, according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, will bring “new levels” of competition to the Premier League.
“I signed a new deal expecting that the city would continue to grow. So it’s not about City deciding whether or not we can be happy; it’s about us,” the former Borussia Dortmund manager remarked.
“It will not weaken them if Erling Haaland goes there. Certainly not. I know a lot of other people are talking about money right now, but this transfer will set new levels, to put it that way.” he added.
In the aftermath of Sergio Aguero’s departure, City was anxious to add a striker to their team last summer, but Pep Guardiola was only interested in Harry Kane.
Due to Aguero’s lack of form and fitness, Guardiola had to play with a false nine most of the time to win the title.
They were unable to sign the Tottenham Hotspur striker, instead opting to sign Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish for a club-record £100 million.
After failing to sign Kane, the English champions turned their attention to Haaland, despite the Norwegian’s original preference for a move to Real.
Since transferring to Dortmund from Salzburg two and a half years ago, Haaland’s form has demonstrated that he has had no trouble adjusting to the Bundesliga.
Alf-Inge Haaland, the player’s father, played for City for three years, from 2000 to 2003, until having to retire. Thus legacy continues.
