Man City one of 'two clubs' in Erling Haaland transfer pursuit and 'alerted' to Robert Lewandowski availability

Manchester City have reportedly leapfrogged Barcelona in pursuit of Erling Haaland, according to reports.

City are in the market for a forward, as has been the case since Sergio Aguero departed in the summer. Pep Guardiola revealed in his press conference this week that the club will continue their push for a talisman in the upcoming transfer window.

The Blues are among a host of clubs eyeing a move for the Borussia Dortmund striker with Real Madrid, as well as Barcelona, frequently linked. Former football Jan Aage Fjortoft has explained why City might now be part of a two-horse race, telling ESPN : "I got a feeling that Real Madrid will be ahead of Barcelona. And at Manchester City, there’s already a free seat as they say in Formula 1.

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola confirms Man City striker plans in summer transfer window

"What I do know about this process is that it’s very much down to little details and in the end, Erling will have to make a decision. As we near the end of this negotiation, it’s down to two clubs and those are Real Madrid and Manchester City.

"This Barcelona thing, I don’t know if there will be a spin in the end. But at this moment, I think it is down to those two clubs," he confirmed.

Meanwhile, Oliver Kahn has expressed Bayern Munich's desire to open contract negotiations with star striker Robert Lewandowski, as per Fabrizio Romano. After yesterday it was reported that clubs such as City were alerted by the Pole's availability.

The legendary German shot-stopper said: “We want to have talks with our deserving players in the spring - including Robert, of course. Now we are now entering a very decisive phase of the season. Every millimetre counts".

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