Erling Haaland exclusive: "Guardiola didn't have to sell Manchester City to me – he's special"

Erling Haaland's desire to leave Borussia Dortmund over the summer sparked all of Europe's top clubs into business mode. Across the continent, elite teams tolled out the red carpet in a bid to win the 22-year-old's signature. 

Manchester City eventually won that race, but fans needn't have ever doubted his desire to come to the Etihad. In an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo, the Norwegian striker explains that the allure of improving himself under Pep Guardiola was all the motivation he needed. 

“Well, Pep didn’t have to sell the club to me, that’s for sure,” Haaland tells FFT. “He didn’t have to sell anything. For starters, he’s a special trainer and that was so important to me. We all know what he has done for his clubs, but also for players and for the game in general. That’s something I want to be part of. I think we can have a lot of fun together.”

That Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, also played for City was another key factor in the youngster's decision to swap Dortmund for Manchester. Erling was born in England, and grew up a massive fan of the Citizens. That was long before the major investment of City's Abu Dhabi owners, however, and, clearly, a lot has changed since then. 

“It’s huge,” Haaland says of the club now. “The facilities around us, the staff, the people around the club, it’s a huge organisation. It’s a very professional club, it does everything in a good way to help the players which I really like.”

The September issue of FFT is available to order with free delivery right now. Get your copy here.