Manchester City fans will be excited by the news that they seem to have won the race for the transfer of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland.
The Norway international has been on fire in the Bundesliga and seems ideal to come in as a long-term replacement for legendary goal-scorer Sergio Aguero, but how did City win the race for his signature?
According to the Daily Mail, City at one point feared Haaland could opt to join Real Madrid instead, but it seems the incredible form of Karim Benzema persuaded him to choose the Etihad Stadium instead.
Haaland could have been an exciting purchase for Los Blancos, but Benzema has also been one of the best players in Europe this season, so there’s no guarantee there’d have been room for both of these world class forwards in Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
The Mail also note how Haaland grew up supporting City, with his father notably playing for the club during his playing days.
It will be exciting to see how the 21-year-old gets on in the Premier League next season, though it could mean a very one-sided title race unless we see similarly ambitious deals from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea this summer.