In a recent interview, Haaland targeted Manchester United as he admitted that’s one club he looks forward to playing against the most.
When asked in an interview, he said, “I don’t want to say the words, but … Manchester United.”
The early stages of the transfer window saw Manchester City finally winning the race for one of the most-rated strikers in the world, Erling Haaland, for a signing fee of £60 million.
When asked what motivated him to make that move, he made reference to Dortmund’s Champions League quarterfinal game against Man City.
“You see something on TV and when you actually meet it is it completely different,” he said. “I got a feeling of that. Suddenly I didn’t touch the ball for 25 minutes in the game. I was like, ‘Please, [Ilkay] Gundogan, stop playing tiki-taka all the time.'”
“It is a different level, I have to say. How they approach the game, how they play, and how they create chances. That’s what I want to be a part of.
“In the end, I just had a feeling in my stomach. The feeling, the way they play, everything, I just had a feeling for the City.”
Haaland on How He intends to Help Man City Stay on Top
As expected, with great power comes great responsibility. Manchester City had just won their four Premier League title in the last decade and have been aiming towards clutching the Champions League title, which just hasn’t happened yet.
Expectedly, for a big-name player like Haaland, expectations are high as regards how he intends to bring them more wins, but the Norwegian wouldn’t be pressured as he expressed confidence in his abilities.
“With me as a striker, I want to have fun. When I have fun, I score goals. I smile, I enjoy playing football and everything. In the end, I just hope to smile a lot,” he said.
“It is a big challenge, a new country, a new league, new coach, new everything. But I know how it is to come to a new club. I’ve done it a couple of times before. So I am really looking forward to it.”
Manchester City are looking to be the team to look out for with some interesting additions in the persons of Juliano Alvarez, Stefan Ortega Moreno, and Kelvin Phillips alongside Haaland.