Erling Haaland to Man City could give Erik ten Hag what he needs at Manchester United

It might have been Manchester United last summer. It so nearly was in January 2020.

Erling Haaland is set to finally touch down in the Premier League as Manchester City and Pep Guardiola edge closer to winning the goalscoring lottery. But while Haaland is the social media trend everyone but those associated with the blue side of this footballing city wanted to see flash up on mobiles and tablet devices, there is still a silver lining for United and their incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

There is no doubt that Haaland will send shivers across the Premier League; when it comes to defenders and those dedicated supporters who pay their wages sat in the stands. He looks ready-made for the blood and thunder that is the English top-flight and City, at last, have their Sergio Aguero replacement.

READ MORE: Man City set to avoid summer transfer saga as they close in on Erling Haaland signing

He might need time to adjust when swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Etihad Stadium. However, the Norwegian is well-versed in Premier League culture having been born and raised in Leeds and watching his father, Alf Inge, star for City and Erling's hometown club during his own playing days.

Alf Inge represents City in their former guise and Erling very much in their current one. Even without a fully-fledged number nine, Guardiola and his star-studded team are sitting on the brink of a fourth title in five seasons. European heart-break put to one side, they have also, rather alarmingly, grabbed 89 goals post-Aguero in the Premier League alone. You would not bet against them bringing up three figures in the matches that remain.

With a staggering goal return for Dortmund - 85 in 88 games across the competitions - Haaland will provide even more