Man City warned Erling Haaland transfer will give Liverpool Premier League advantage

Former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert has warned Manchester City that signing Erling Haaland could give the Reds a Premier League advantage next season.

City have reportedly agreed terms with the in-demand Borussia Dortmund forward in a deal which is set to see the 21-year-old pocket a staggering £500,000-per-week. The reigning Premier League champions are now expected to trigger the Norwegian's £63million release as they edge ever close to pipping a number of Europe's elite to the signing of the sought-after striker.

Pep Guardiola 's side already possess a wealth of talent in their star-studded squad and the prospect of City adding one of Europe's hottest young talents to their ranks is a frightening one. However, former Liverpool forward Lambert feels City could be handing an advantage to their Premier League rivals if they complete a coup for Haaland.

The ex- Southampton striker claimed the Norwegian's Etihad arrival could "disrupt" City, insisting it may take time for Guardiola's side to adapt to playing a system which features an out-and-out centre forward. A potentially bumpy bedding-in period could subsequently be of benefit to Liverpool, according to Lambert.

The 40-year-old told talkSPORT : "I think the way City play, I'm not too sure a big centre-forward will be good for them. It might take them a while to get used to a new way of playing with them. I think it might disrupt them a little bit.

"If one of these teams gets ahead early doors next season, it's very hard these days for the other team to catch them. So, I think it could be a little advantage [for Liverpool]."

However, while Lambert exclaimed the signing of Haaland could initially provide City with cause for concern, he declared that once