Manchester City are currently in their strongest position ever as a football club.
While they've been on the up since 2008, City have arguably never had as strong a squad as they do right now. This is largely down to a clever, strategic philosophy that Pep Guardiola has entrenched since he arrived in 2016.
City have now become a 'destination' football club during Guardiola's tenure. Due to the work that goes on behind the scenes and City's performances on the pitch, persuading top-quality players to move to the Etihad Stadium is no longer a chore.
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This was proven in the summer when Guardiola welcomed Erling Haaland to Manchester. His father's links to the club and the Norwegian's support for the Blues may have played a factor in the switch but the 22-year-old has proven that he is not merely here for sentimental purposes.
His goalscoring prowess since he burst onto the scene has been unmatched by any player before him in the Premier League. In Kevin De Bruyne, Haaland now has an 'all-you-can-eat buffet' approach to chances and his 23 goals in 18 appearances speak volumes.
It is understandable, therefore, that some City fans may be concerned when they read statements like the one Alf-Inge gave this week regarding his son's future. Speaking to France Football (via DAZN), he said: "Erling could stay at City for 15 years because he is very happy and we are talking about a huge club.
"But my impression is that he wants to demonstrate that he can win at any of the big leagues. He was in Germany for two-and-a-half years and he could do something like that in his future.
"Staying in the Premier League for three years and then going to Italy, Spain or France. There's nothing firm about it, but it's a possibility because Erling is capable of being a winner in any team."
The risk of losing Haaland, particularly to a European rival, is at first glance a worrying development. However, the two scenarios which Haaland Snr proposes could both work in City's favour.
Obviously, should Haaland decide to stay at the Etihad, records will tumble and his eventual statue outside the ground would be as big if not bigger than Dixie Dean's at Goodison Park. But, should he decide to leave after a mere three years in England, that would not be a disaster either.
A lot can happen in three years, especially concerning a player's development. Julian Alvarez has been lurking beneath the radar at City since his move from River Plate.
In any other squad in the Premier League, potentially even in Europe bar a few exceptions, Alvarez would be starting regularly. He is showing at the World Cup how good he is already at such a tender age.
Should Haaland decide to leave in 2025/26, Alvarez will be in his mid-20s and is likely to have matured further and developed just as fast having been in direct competition with the Norwegian for the previous few years. There is no denying that a ready-made replacement is sitting there just waiting to be unleashed.
Once again, this is further proof of how far City have come under Guardiola. The thought of losing a star man would concern lesser clubs but for the Blues, they know that they are in a win-win situation no matter how Haaland's future unveils.
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