Redaction Simon Brett with Dan Murphy
Published on 2024-02-23 09:26:32
Ray Parlous still can’t believe how Manchester City managed to sign a crucial player for such a low price. The team is still reveling in their treble triumph from last season and could potentially achieve it again this time around. This is largely due to the incredibly efficient recruitment policy at the club, which considerably helps manager Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City has maintained their transfer success in the last decade, always aiming to get the best value for their money, despite having an abundance of cash reserves.
A prime example of this is the signing of Erling Haaland for just £51m from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. Initially considered a bargain, it now seems like an absolute steal given the incredible success Haaland has experienced since joining the club. Scoring an astounding 74 goals in just 81 games, Haaland has broken nearly every goal-scoring record in the book.
The total cost for the deal, including agent fees, signing bonus, and other costs, is expected to be around £85.5m. However, this is still considered a steal in today’s modern market.
Ray Parlour expressed his astonishment over the deal, particularly given the high transfer prices being quoted for other players at the time, such as £80m for Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
He emphasized the difficulty of finding another player like Haaland, who is a clinical goalscoring machine and the ultimate striker – a player he believes only comes around once in a lifetime.
Despite Arsenal’s need for a striker, he admitted that finding another Haaland would be incredibly challenging. He hailed Manchester City’s recruitment success and admitted that finding another player like Haaland would be an “unbelievable deal.”
He said: “Yeah definitely, that will be the first position they look at.
“If they can get that right striker, they’re always going to create chances. But you just need that clinical finisher.
“I know [Gabriel] Jesus has done well, and he’s an excellent player, but he’s not that out-and-out, proper striker who can get you 20-25 goals a season.
“If they can get a Haaland, somehow, Arsenal, I know they’re very, very hard to find.
“If you look back at what sort of business Man City done there, when you’re talking £70m-£80m for Ivan Toney, what did they get Haaland for? Similar sort of money? Which is an unbelievable deal really.”
Read Original article on Manchester City News
