Is Haaland the ‘last piece in the jigsaw puzzle’ for City’s UCL hopes?
“It’s not quite the end of the story, but it’s perhaps the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle to come across the water,” writes Neil Thompson of Sky Sports in his pre-match preview.
Thompson writes that Haaland, who joined the Hammers for £12m last year, “is one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League”.
That would indicate that he will be a key figure for City in the upcoming campaign, as he could be brought to the Club for a large transfer fee.
He also writes that Haaland has not settled in with Liverpool, who face Wolves in the Premier League Cup final on Sunday.
Here are the quotes from that piece:
“On the subject of whether Haaland could be considered part of City’s long-term plans, Thompson says: “The manager has said previously that he will not sell a player to be part of the long-term plan.
“But, in truth, I think the reality is much closer to that.
“The fact is, Haaland is at the end of his deal yet to be extended, whether it is on a new contract or a new pre-contract, so there is not much certainty on when, or if, he will reach his desired level of performance.”
For that reason, says Thompson, it will be vital that if the club are looking for a long-term replacement for the Belgian then they are able to make offers before the end of this season – an end that is likely to be when Haaland’s loan deal expires.
“It is also a fact, Thompson says, that if Haaland is heading in the right direction and getting to the level he wanted to arrive at, then City has options for him in the January transfer window, even though he