Man City stunned, as Euro giants enter preliminary Erling Haaland talks to tee up move that’ll delight Liverpool, Arsenal

Manchester City have been rocked by the news that the world’s most illustrious club has reportedly begun initial discussions to try and sign Erling Haaland, in a transfer that would represent a huge boost to Liverpool and Arsenal.

Haaland arrived in the Premier League in July 2022, when Man City paid Borussia Dortmund £51.5million to sign him on a five-year contract. Big things were expected of the striker after he managed an incredible 86 goals in 89 matches while in Germany, though some were sceptical over whether he would be able to take that Bundesliga form into the Prem.

Haaland soon silenced all those critics as he enjoyed a record-breaking season which heralded 52 goals in 53 games. That included 36 strikes in just 35 league appearances, as the Norway star smashed Mo Salah’s record for the most goals in a 38-match season.

Haaland was also crucial to City finally ending their woes in the Champions League, as they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the final to win the trophy for the very first time. That capped off an amazing treble for Pep Guardiola’s side, who had already won the Prem title and FA Cup that campaign.

Haaland has missed City’s last nine games due to a foot injury and is not expected to return until the end of the month. Nevertheless, he has still managed 19 goals in his first 22 appearances of the season.

The 23-year-old’s unbelievable scoring feats have got many wondering where he will go after City, should he ever decide to leave the Etihad. The only real step up he can make is by signing for Real Madrid, who are generally viewed as the biggest club in the world.

READ MORE: Man City eye stunning raids on Tottenham, Aston Villa that will devastate Premier League rivals

The La Liga titans have been focused on signing Kylian Mbappe in recent years, but they have been left frustrated in that hunt on several occasions in the past and could resultantly head elsewhere in their search for a new centre-forward.

According to fresh reports emerging from Spain, Madrid are prioritising Haaland’s capture over Mbappe. And Los Blancos already have a firm ‘strategy’ in mind to try and strike a deal for the Prem tormentor.

Real Madrid step up Erling Haaland pursuit

It is claimed that Madrid are already in early talks with Haaland’s camp about a move, via intermediaries. They are wary of contacting the player or his entourage directly as this will lead to a stern response from City.

Madrid are attempting to convince Haaland to sign for them at some point over the next 18 months. They will undoubtedly be telling him about the big contract offer which will be put on the table, as well as the brilliant chance he will have of winning a first Ballon d’Or if he joins them.

The report explains how Madrid are hoping to repeat the method they used to win the race for Jude Bellingham. Madrid worked tirelessly to convince the midfielder on joining them over his other suitors before they even entered negotiations with Dortmund.

And now Madrid have Bellingham in their team, they have a much better chance of landing Haaland as well. That is because the pair struck up a great friendship during their time at Dortmund.

City’s Prem rivals including Liverpool and Arsenal will be delighted if Haaland leaves for Madrid at some point in the near future. Such a move will give them a much better chance at ending City’s dominance, though it will still be hard to completely topple them as Guardiola has plenty of other top-class stars at his disposal.

DON’T MISS: Kalvin Phillips spectacularly linked with LaLiga duo as Man City prepare to finalise exit ‘next week’