Manchester City announced the signing of Erling Haaland on Tuesday evening, revealing that they had agreed to pay the release clause in his Borussia Dortmund contract.
He will move to the Etihad this summer, earning wages thought to be around £375,000-per-week in the process, and Pep Guardiola and co. will be hoping that he can fire them to an elusive Champions League trophy.
'Manchester City can confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the Club on 1st July 2022', the club revealed.
But, it was somewhat odd that the man who was supposed to be at the centre of a transfer frenzy ended up having his future decided so tamely and quietly. Now, though, ESPN have revealed why.
Why Chelsea and Real Madrid turned down Haaland
As per ESPN's 'sources', Chelsea chose not to pursue Haaland amid concerns that his style of play may not be suited to the Premier League. When asked to elaborate, they revealed that this was because 'there's less space for forward players to attack and run into, compared with the Bundesliga.'
Chelsea, of course, have learned this lesson the hard way, with Timo Werner having excelled in Germany but struggled since his big-money move to Stamford Bridge, with 23 goals in 89 games for the Blues.
But, Chelsea were not alone in their reservations. The report continues that 'recruitment staff at Barcelona reported back that they had reservations about his personality and character. Real Madrid, according to sources, took issue with his injury record -- he's missed 17 club games this season mainly because of muscular problems -- although there's an acceptance from the Spanish club that it didn't put them off completely.'
It could be a decision that all three clubs live to regret.
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