Man City striker question will continue even if Erling Haaland signs

Manchester City are intent on landing the striker they never managed to land last year when the 2022 summer transfer window opens.

Any possibility that Erling Haaland could be available for this season was quashed when Dortmund turned their form around to salvage Champions League qualification and keep their superstar at the club. One lengthy and tedious pursuit of Harry Kane later, Pep Guardiola was left without the No.9 that he wanted.

This year, City are back in for Haaland and there is belief that a deal can be done — even if Real Madrid still offer stiff competition. Not only would it be an exciting signing for the club, it would also change the way the team play.

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Guardiola has been clear that City would line up differently with a No.9 and that they have only adapted to play the way they do because they did not sign one. However, the success they have had without a recognised striker means that the questions about them will not go away if the Blues do land Haaland (or, failing that, another marquee forward).

As City in the Community trustee Nedum Onuoha told MEN Sport: "The No.9 situation is an interesting one because you have to ask the question what is it for? For City, they score a tonne of goals, a ridiculous amount of goals.

"We can be hypercritical and say a No.9 would change this or that, and in some ways it will because it's a different style of play, but some of the football I've seen over the last two years has been as good as I've seen in my lifetime. If a No.9 can add to that then great but if it will be to bring in and make City weaker in some ways based on the systems that they play then is it really worth it?"

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