‘Erling Haaland rues mega Man City deal, now redundant under Pep Guardiola’
Man City have made Erling Haaland redundant despite making him the best paid player in Europe, according to Tony Cascarino.
Haaland signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract in January that made him the highest paid player in Europe, despite the 115 charges that continue to cloud Man City’s future.
There had been an expectation, since signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, that the Norweigan striker’s time at the Etihad would be a temporary one, with a view to moving onto Real Madrid or Barcelona should his time in England be successful.
However, having built such strong relationship’s within the club Haaland committed his long-term future to the Citizens.
Despite the loyalty shown, the extension has been questioned, given City’s downturn in form this season, with the club at risk of missing out on Champions League football.
Question marks surround Erling Haaland’s Man City contract
With four goals in his last seven Premier League games, the striker is still finding the back of the net, but at a much less frequent rate than he was at the beginning of the season.
Speaking in The Times, Cascarino began by questioning the former Dortmund striker’s decision to sign a contract with the club, with no guarantees of future success, especially during a point in time where the club struggles to play around the striker: “My biggest question surrounds Erling Haaland, and why he signed a nine-year contract in January.
“Of course people will point to the money or the trophies but despite a successful first two seasons, there now looks to be no guarantee of that continuing in the near future.
“Haaland is undoubtedly one of the top three strikers in the world but one of the most obvious by-products of this declining City side is their inability to play to his strengths.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Haaland |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Starts | 27 |
| Goals | 20 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Minutes | 2,393 |
Cascarino then pointed out that the deal seems incredibly favourable for City, who have tied down one of world football’s best players for almost a decade, and can now demand an “exceptionally high fee”: “Haaland’s nine-year deal was a convenient option for both parties — especially City who have either tied down a world-class striker or can demand an exceptionally high fee.
The former Marseille striker also has concerns that City’s flagging form may impact the Norweigan’s legacy, saying: “He has the capability to post ridiculously high goal tallies, five or ten more than anyone else in the division. For now, though, if he continues to feed on crumbs, he will fall shy of the numbers we expect from him.”
After City were beaten 1-0 away at Nottingham Forest Cascarino suggested that the host’s Chris Wood is now a more “functional” striker than Haaland thanks to Nuno Espirito Santo’s set up getting the most out of the New Zealander.
Man City are looking to re-create the Kevin De Bruyne connection by signing Florian Wirtz
Football Insider Verdict
During Haaland’s first season in the Premier League, as he scored a record-setting 36 goals in 35 games, Kevin De Bruyne was instrumental.
The Belgian assisted 16 of those 36 goals, and the on-pitch partnership between the two was utterly unstoppable.
However, father time has come for De Bruyne, and the former Wolfsburg midfielder is no longer first-choice under Guardiola, as injuries continue to interrupt his return to first-team action.
Whilst Phil Foden and Jack Grealish continue to struggle to recreate the magic that the Belgian once provided, City are looking to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayern Leverkusen this summer.
The German midfielder is the closest thing to a prime De Bruyne that exists in world football.
Wirtz was the fulcrum of Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga winning team last season, scoring 11, and assisting 11 in 32 league games.
If anyone can rejuvenate Guardiola’s ailing side offensively, and consistently play to Haaland’s strengths, it is the German international.