‘Everyone Knew’—Former Premier League Manager Questions Man City’s Erling Haaland Transfer
Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch could do nothing but laugh as he reflected on Manchester City’s financial scandal, questioning how the Cityzens could pull off the signing of striker Erling Haaland for just $66 million (£52 million) in 2022.
The investigation against City, which saw the club found guilty of major financial breaches, only covered the years between 2009 and 2018, but Marsch claimed it was an open secret that City’s misconduct continued for years beyond that.
“I think Man City should be punished severely,” Marsch, the current Canada boss who spent 12 months with Leeds between 2022 and 2023, told The Guardian. “I think they should have to go down, and by the way, everyone knew about it. Everyone knew.
“That summer [2022], us and Man City were the only teams that said we made money. For us, we did make money, because we sold Raphinha, we sold Kalvin Phillips. We had a lot left over from what we bought. At the time, we weren’t in a position financially to not save. Our ownership didn’t have deep pockets. Whereas when Man City says this, I was literally like, ‘Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke?’
“When they said they got Erling Haaland for £52 million, it’s like: ‘Yeah, O.K., sure!’ So, I knew there were inconsistencies in it, but what can you do? You just put your arms in the air and go, ‘This is football.’”
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How Did Man City Sign Erling Haaland So Cheap?
It is a question that many have asked over the past four years. Haaland was already one of the world’s top strikers in 2022 and, at 21 years old, could have easily become one of the most expensive players in history.
During a summer in which Manchester United signed Antony in a package worth $99 million (£85 million), Darwin Núñez joined Liverpool for a similar sum and Alexander Isak swapped Real Sociedad for Newcastle United for $71 million (£60 million), the sight of Haaland going for just $66 million raised plenty of eyebrows.
The explanation is fairly simple. Haaland had a release clause in his contract worth that amount which, according to reports, only became active in the summer of 2022. City moved quickly to force their way to the front of the queue for his signature.
Haaland’s move to City came 12 months after Chelsea were chasing his signature. Sky in Germany reported at the time that the Blues failed with a swap bid that would have included either Tammy Abraham or Callum Hudson-Odoi, while other outlets suggested the Blues were prepared to offer close to £135 million to get a deal done.
“That would be a lot of money for one player,” Haaland said at the time.
Dortmund faced no legal obligation to sell Haaland in 2021 but, when his release clause kicked in the following summer, it was taken out of their hands.
“In the end, the truth is that we gave him a release clause, otherwise he would have gone to Manchester United,” former Dortmund executive Hans-Joachim Watzke revealed.
The Hidden Costs of Erling Haaland’s Move to Man City
While the official transfer fee for Haaland was £52 million, that did not tell the whole story.
When City confirmed Haaland’s arrival, it was revealed that the club actually expected the whole package to cost around £85.5 million, with that sum including agent fees, a signing-on bonus and various other costs associated with completing the transfer.
It must be stressed that such payments are common in the transfer market, albeit not usually at such an expensive level, and those fees are rarely considered when typical transfer fees are discussed. There are no suggestions of any wrongdoing in City’s acquisition of Haaland, who remains one of the biggest bargains in history.
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