Manchester City have held talks with Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, according to reports, with the wage structure said to be decided. A number of clubs have been linked with a move for the 21-year-old, including Chelsea and Arsenal.
For the Blues, their links with Haaland have come following a difficult period up front. Striker Romelu Lukaku made a club-record transfer back to Stamford Bridge last year - when Chelsea had also been linked with Haaland - but has failed to live up to the heights expected so far.
Thomas Tuchel has stressed that the club needs more patience with the Belgian, saying back in February: “I still believe that he will [score] because he always did, we need more patience than maybe we all have and wanted with this signing. We demand a lot from our strikers also in terms of intensity. There are several reasons why things are like this and we are on it."
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The Blues have since been linked with a move for Haaland again to aid their goalscoring woes, though Lukaku is set to make his return from injury against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. As for the Gunners, they’re in a precarious position with their striking options for the summer.
Former club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club for Barcelona in January, having lost the armband following a disciplinary breach. That leaves Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as the only options up top, both of whom are out-of-contract at the end of the season.
It not only leaves the side extremely light, but with the pair only scoring three Premier League goals between them this season, it only adds emphasis on the need to strengthen. Following the side’s loss to Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta challenged his side to score more goals in his post-match press conference saying: “We have to score more goals, and that’s a problem we have at the moment.”
These issues have led both sides to be linked with a move for Haaland, who is said to be free to leave Dortmund this summer with a £75million release clause. His 18 goals and eight assists in just 20 Bundesliga appearances are some of the best numbers for output in Europe.
However, if either side want to make the move for the youngster, then they may have to act quickly as the Daily Star reports that Manchester City have held talks with the forward over a potential move as well as wage structure. The report claims that he has been offered a similar basic salary to key player Kevin de Bruyne, while lucrative add-ons could be involved.
Whether Chelsea or Arsenal could compete with that financial offer remains to be seen, but both sides could soon miss out on a generational talent if he makes the move to the Etihad or elsewhere.
