Centre-forwards of Erling Haaland’s ilk certainly do not grow on trees.
But as rumours surrounding a potential switch to Real Madrid continue to linger in the back of Manchester City minds, the Premier League champions appear to be leaving nothing to chance.
Back in May, the irrepressible Erling Haaland insisted that he was in no rush to bring an end to two goal-laden, trophy-filled years at the Etihad Stadium.
Then again, nor did he completely rule out a departure in the near future.
“I’m really happy,” Haaland said, via ESPN. “Especially with the people that I’m surrounded with. The manager, the directors, the board… They are a group of amazing people and I’m really happy, I have to say.
“(But) If I say this now it’s probably going to be a massive headline. Tomorrow, you never know what the future brings.”
Erling Haaland’s long-term Manchester City future uncertain
Now, a club as meticulous in their planning as Man City are unlikely to be caught on their heels if or when the day comes – a year or two or three from now – for Haaland to take his laser-guided finishing to La Liga.
HITC understands that Pep Guardiola’s 2023 Treble winners have been keeping a very close eye on one Artem Dovbyk; the Ukraine international powerhouse who fired City’s Spanish-based sister club Girona into the Champions League for the first time ever last season.
There are certainly shades of Haaland in the once-Everton, Burnley and Nottingham Forest linked frontman.
Dovbyk, like Haaland, moves with an agility and a speed not usually associated with 6ft 2ins centre-forwards. A lethal finisher off his left boot too, Dovbyk edged out Jude Bellingham to claim La Liga’s Pichichi award too while plundering 24 goals in 36 appearances.
HITC reported back in June – when Atletico Madrid expressed their interest – that the City Football Group were hoping to insert some sort of buy-back clause in Dovbyk’s deal. As such, should Haaland leave somewhere down the line, Man City would be free to bring in the three-time Golden Boot winner for a set fee.
Whether such a clause exists in the deal Dovbyk is set to sign at AS Roma, only time will tell.
Artem Dovbyk swaps Girona for AS Roma
The Serie A outfit have fought off competition from Atletico and co. Dovbyk, who will wear the number nine shirt currently owned by Tammy Abraham according to an Instagram post via his agent, was pictured touching down in Rome on Thursday as he prepares to undergo a medical with the Giallorossi.
Fabrizio Romano reports via his official X account that Dovbyk could set Roma back an eventual sum of £32.5 million.
Interestingly, Girona will retain a 10 per cent sell on clause. Hypothetically speaking, if Man City were to pay £60 million to sign Dovbyk from Roma 12 months from now, the Catalan outfit will receive £6 million of that sum.
Dovbyk will fill the void created in the capital by Romelu Lukaku’s departure.
Lukaku spent last season on loan at Roma. HITC understands that the Chelsea-owned Belgian could return to Italy before the September deadline, albeit with Antonio Conte’s Napoli.
There remains a chance that Lukaku and Victor Osimhen trade clubs before the end of the window too with Serie A’s 2023/24 top scorer Chelsea’s number one striker target.
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