Erling Haaland is the son of former Leeds and Manchester City star Alf Inge Haaland. He started his career in Norway with Byrne before switching to Molde.
After a breakthrough season in 2018, the forward made the move to Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg for a fee in the region of €8m (including bonuses).
It wasn’t long before Haaland was banging in the goals. He spent eighteen months in Austria, finding the back of the net 29 times in 28 matches.
His most notable achievement was scoring in five consecutive Champions League group games; a feat that had only been achieved by 5 other players.
Haaland’s move to Dortmund
Despite interest from Salzburg’s sister club RB Leipzig, Juventus and Manchester United, the striker decided to join Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019.
The Bundesliga side paid around €20m for Haaland but, crucially, the deal included a release clause which would become significant in his transfer to City three years later.
Many felt that the Norwegian couldn’t possibly replicate his form in Austria after his move to Germany. After all, he had scored more than a goal a game.
However, in his three seasons with Dortmund, Haaland broke records. He was the youngest player to reach 50 goals in Bundesliga history and he had done it in the fewest number of appearances too.
His arrival at City
The Premier League champions paid the €60m (£51.2m) buyout fee in Haaland’s Dortmund contract before the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
Some believed that he would struggle to score the numbers he managed in Germany but they were proven wrong once again. He broke the Premier League record in his first year at the Etihad, scoring 36 goals in 35 league appearances.
Haaland helped City win their 5th Premier League title in six years, as well as lifting the FA Cup and Champions League in a historic treble.
In his second year with the Cityzens, the Norwegian international scored 27 league goals, winning the league and the UEFA Super Cup.
Haaland’s achievements with City
- He has won two Premier League Golden Boots (2022/23 and 2023/24)
- Haaland was handed the PFA Player of the Year in his first season with City (2022/23)
- He has also been named in the PFA Team of the Year on two separate occasions (2022/23 and 2023/24)
- Haaland was the Champions League’s top scorer in 2022/23 when City won the competition
- He has been awarded Manchester City’s Player of the Season (2022/23) and the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season (2022/23)
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
