MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland has come home.
The Norway striker finalized his move to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund for 60 million euros ($63 million) on Monday to seal his return to England, the country of his birth.
His father, Alf-Inge, played for City in the Premier League from 2000-03 and Erling supported the club as a kid. He has posted on social media pictures of himself wearing a City jersey as a young boy.
“This is a proud day for me and my family. I have always watched City and have loved doing so in recent seasons," Haaland said. “You can’t help but admire their style of play — it’s exciting — and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me.”
Haaland, regarded as one of the world's top young players along with Kylian Mbappe, is joining on a five-year deal. City activated the release clause in Haaland's Dortmund contract and looks to be getting a superstar on the cheap.
“We have been monitoring Erling for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City," said Txiki Begiristain, the club's director of football.
“He is a huge talent and has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last few seasons. His goalscoring record is exceptional and his performances at Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level. Erling has everything we want in a striker, and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system."
Haaland has scored 20 goals in 21 appearances for Norway and netted 86 goals in 89 games in two and a half seasons with Dortmund. Before that, he was at Molde in Norway and Salzburg in Austria.
He is joining the English champions and will look to guide Pep Guardiola's team to the Champions League title for the first time next season.
“There are so many world-class players in this squad and Pep is one of the greatest managers of all time, so I believe I am in the right place to fulfil my ambitions," he said. “I want to score goals, win trophies, and improve as a footballer and I am confident I can do that here. This is a great move for me, and I can’t wait to get started in pre-season.”
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
