Erling Haaland's wages have annoyed "more than one" player in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City squad: Reports
According to Foot Mercato (via Sports Witness), some Manchester City players are unhappy with new-signing Erling Haaland’s reported wages. The Borussia Dortmund star is set to join Pep Guardiola’s English champions before the start of the 2022-23 campaign.
Manchester City officially confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Dortmund's Erling Haaland on May 10, putting an end to a long-drawn transfer saga. As per trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Citizens will pay €60 million to trigger his release clause and then give him a salary of £375,000 per week. His wages are supposedly on par with Kevin De Bruyne, who has been at the Etihad Stadium since 2015.
As per Foot Mercato and Sport Witness, Haaland’s reported wages have put a strain on Manchester City’s dressing room harmony. Some players, including those who are devoted to Guardiola, now feel undervalued and are not afraid to voice their concerns.
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 transfer remains subject to the Club finalising terms with the player.
It is not the first time that feathers have been ruffled in the City dressing room. The same trend was witnessed last summer when the club brought in Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. Not only did the club pay a whopping €117 million to get the Englishman, but they reportedly also agreed to pay him €360,000 per week (according to Marca).
The deal made him one of the club’s highest-paid players, with the player making more than Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, or Bernardo Silva. Additionally, despite Grealish failing to live up to the billing this season, some City players feel that Guardiola is showing him significant leniency.
The timing of Haaland’s announcement has also been questioned. With City still not clear of Liverpool in the Premier League title race, news of the Norwegian’s arrival could potentially demoralize some players.
Some Manchester City players could look for an exit this summer
Haaland’s arrival could reportedly compel Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to look for a transfer this summer. The Norway international is expected to start almost every game for the Citizens, which could have a direct impact on Jesus and Sterling’s careers.
Unless they are promised significant involvement, the duo could look for a move elsewhere, which is looking more and more likely.
#AFC
Exclusive. Gabriel Jesus agent Marcelo Pettinati tells me: “We had talks with Arsenal about Gabriel Jesus, we like the project - it’s a possibility we’re discussing”. 🚨🇧🇷 #AFC
“There are 6 more clubs interested in Gabriel - he’s focused on final games with Man City, we’ll see”. https://t.co/kEHF2LqAdC
Gabriel Jesus’ agent (via Fabrizio Romano) recently revealed that he has had contact with Arsenal about a possible switch in the summer. Apart from the Gunners, six other clubs are reportedly interested in the Brazilian centre-forward.
Sterling, meanwhile, has been linked with Arsenal, AC Milan (according to Calciomercato) and Barcelona (according to 90min).
Also Read: "Incredible young talent" - Pep Guardiola tips Erling Haaland to 'adapt perfectly' at Manchester City