Man City told to replace Madrid-linked Haaland with 12-goal striker who ‘would also score 50 goals a season’ | OneFootball

Erling Haaland has a laugh on the bench during a Premier League match.

Man City should replace Erling Haaland with Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic if the Premier League striker moves to Real Madrid, according to former AC Milan and Napoli goalkeeper Giovanni Galli.

The Norway international has been in incredible form since swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2022.

Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions during his first season, helping Man City win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in a historic Treble-winning campaign.

Despite missing a big chunk of the season through injury, Haaland still managed to contribute 19 goals in 23 matches in all competitions so far.

There have been rumours in recent weeks that the Man City player has one eye on a future move to Real Madrid as he looks to win more individual accolades.

It has been claimed a €200m release clause has now become active in his contract at Man City with it reducing each year until his deal at the Etihad Stadium expires in 2027.

It would be almost impossible for Pep Guardiola to replace the amount of goals Haaland scores but former AC Milan goalkeeper Galli insists he would have no hesitation in swapping Haaland for Vlahovic – who has scored 12 Serie A goals this season – if he was the Man City boss.

“Maybe it may seem like a provocation to you, but for me it isn’t that much: if I were Guardiola and they told me ‘you have to make the exchange between Vlahović and Haaland’ I would do it easily,” Galli told Tuttosport.

“Dušan has nothing to envy the Norwegian. At Juve, he must take advantage of the few opportunities that come his way; because the Bianconeri are not a team that doesn’t grind out play like City who have 10 chances per game.”

“Yet Vlahović already has 12 goals despite everything. I’d like to see him in a more attacking team. If he were at Manchester City, he would also score 50 goals a season like Haaland. I’m sure.”

Responding to the rumours that Haaland could leave for Real Madrid in the summer, Guardiola told a pre-match press conference: “For one report, for one journalist or one Twitter account, one Instagram account, do you think they are going to change something that is going to happen? It’s not going to happen.

“It’s going to happen when Erling decides to extend the contract or not, when the club decides to extend a contract or not, or when we have potential offers to him or not.

“If someone wants Erling, it’s easy. Call Man City and ask. It’s what we do when we want to sign someone. It’s not more complicated than that.”

Guardiola added: “What do you think? That we don’t want Erling to stay here for one decade?

“We want him – for a long, long time at this club. For a long time. We are in love with him, we want him.”

The Man City boss continued on Haaland’s future: “I don’t have info. He arrived last season and the impact was incredible. The beginning of this season, the numbers were really good too. He’s had two months injured.

“What happens in the future? Honestly, I don’t know. We are happy to have him, hopefully he’s happy to be with us. That is what we know. And the rest? I don’t know.”

Manchester City Dusan Vlahovic