Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has recently said, he wants a superstar on his side. While they’re obviously doing just fine right now with what they have, and Pep did say, when making those remarks that he’s content with the side he has, who wouldn’t want a galactico?
Obviously, no club, other than PSG, has the financial resources that City do, so it makes sense that they’ll be front-runners to get the biggest and boldest names every summer. Once again there is talk linking City with Lionel Messi, nothing new there, but Thursday brought another big bit of juicy transfer talk.
It is being reported by 90min that Manchester City would offer well over $142 million, or 100 million GBP Sterling to sign Borussia Dortmund’s stellar young pair, Erling Haaland and Giovanni Reyna.
Haaland, 20, just moved from RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund 13 months ago, and it is claimed that he possesses a $90 million release clause. The Norwegian wonderkid has only seen his stock rise while with BVB and he’s also been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United.
United had the advantage of manager and fellow Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being friends with Haaland’s dad Alfie Inge, but a deal still couldn’t materialize and the phenomenal poacher went to Dortmund instead.
Meanwhile Reyna, 18, would sign with City this summer as well, but remain with Dortmund for another season on loan. There are some who believe Reyna could be the next American superstar, and that he has higher potential than former BVB man and current national teammate Christian Pulisic.
“I still think the one that’s really going to open up people’s eyes is Giovanni Reyna,” said Prof. Tom McCabe, creator of the documentary “Soccertown USA,” in an exclusive with The Sports Bank.
“I think he could be better than all these guys, and he’s what, just 18?”
Reyna’s father, Claudio, played for City from 2003-2007.
Haaland’s father also played for City, between 2000-2003. For Dormtund, they could be in for a possible fire sale this summer, as their finances have been hit hard by the pandemic. Plus, if they do not qualify for Champions League, they’ll be more need of money.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.