There will reportedly be a new highest-paid player in the English Premier League this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland have agreed to terms for a contract that will pay Haaland over £500,000 a week.
The transfer would trigger Haaland’s £63 million release clause — ESPN reports Haaland’s release clause is closer to £75 million — and the expectation is that the deal will be done by next week.
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Per Sports Illustrated, a £500,000 weekly wage equates to an annual salary of roughly £26 million ($34 million).
Is Erling Haaland worth the money?
- Haaland, a 21-year-old Norwegian national, is considered one of the best strikers in the world.
- In Bundesliga play in 2020-21, Haaland averaged nearly a goal a game, finishing with 27 in 28 matches.
- This year, while dealing with injury, Haaland has netted 18 goals and assisted on seven others in 20 total Bundesliga contests.
- According to Comparisonator and the Manchester Evening News, Haaland ranks first in three areas among the Premier League’s top forwards: goals per 90 minutes (0.98), shots on target per 90 minutes (1.79), and expected goals per 90 minute average (0.71), all of which put him ahead of players like Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
How does Erling Haaland’s salary compare to the best of the EPL?
- Haaland’s reported salary would move him past every EPL star in terms of compensation.
- Chief among those are Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, and Manchester United’s Ronaldo, both of whom, per the Daily Mail, make approximately £385,000 a week.
How does Erling Haaland’s salary compare to the best athlete’s worldwide?
- At $34 million annually, Haaland will become one of the highest compensated athletes in the world, at least when it comes to on-the-field pay.
- Per Forbes, in 2021 only Lionel Messi ($97 million), Ronaldo ($70 million), Dak Prescott ($97.5 million), Neymar ($76 million), Lewis Hamilton ($70 million) and Tom Brady ($45 million) made more on-the-field — including bonuses — than Haaland will next season.
What Pep Guardiola said about his club’s pursuit of Erling Haaland
- On Tuesday, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was guarded when asked about the reported deal between his club and Haaland.
- Per ESPN, Guardiola told media, “No answer to your question. No questions. I have no concern about what will happen in this club next season. I don’t know what will happen in the future. For many years I never talk about transfers, especially when we are playing for this season.”