He'd revive Haaland: Man City in contact to sign £85m "big game player"
da dobrowin： A third FA Cup victory in six years for Manchester City might not make up for a dismal 2024/25 campaign, but it could plant the seed for rejuvenation under Pep Guardiola next term.
da bet7k： Losing Rodri so early on in the season proved to be the catalyst for the club’s worst run of form since the Spaniard took over in the summer of 2016.
This ensured none of the big prizes would be heading to the Etihad. But it wasn’t just losing Rodri that impacted the club. As a group, the team underperformed as the most successful era in the club’s history drew to a close.
Phil Foden has gone from 40 goal contributions last season to registering just 16 throughout 2024/25 in what has been a steady decline.
Elsewhere, Jack Grealish has also been poor, recording only eight goal contributions all season, while even Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t quite been his influential self as he shows signs of slowing down.
One of the biggest disappointments was Erling Haaland. The Norwegian had scored 52 and 38 goals across his first two seasons at the club, but has failed to hit those sorts of numbers this term.
Why Erling Haaland has struggled for Man City this season
The striker certainly began the campaign with a bang. Across his first five Premier League games, Haaland netted an impressive tally of ten goals.
This included back-to-back hat tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United. At this point, it appeared as though no one was going to prevent him, or City, from powering to another top-flight title.
Between the start of October and the end of 2024, however, Haaland managed to find the back of the net just three times. Even though his form picked up between January and March, an ankle injury sidelined him for a few games, and he hasn’t scored since March 30.
To put it into context how much of a drop-off the forward has endured this term, he has averaged a goal every 123 minutes in the Premier League this season, compared to every 95 minutes last year.
Erling Haaland’s PL stats for Man City
Metric
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
37
27
21
Goal conversion percentage
29%
22%
20%
Shots per game
3.5
3.9
3.6
Goal frequency (minutes)
77
95
123
Assists
8
5
3
Via Sofascore
Furthermore, Haaland’s goal conversion rate has dropped from 22% to 20% while he is averaging fewer shots per game (3.9 vs 3.6). These statistics might not indicate a serious drop-off, but considering he is about to end the season with his worst goal tally at a club since the 2021/22 season, there is a problem.
With Guardiola keen on bolstering his squad this summer, it looks as though he is eyeing a move for one of the finest wingers in Europe.
Could his potential arrival revive Haaland next season?
Man City eye move for Real Madrid superstar
City’s main transfer target this summer appears to be Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. His agents apparently flew to England recently, but it is unclear whether they spoke to City about a move when the window opens.
It would be a major coup if they could secure his signature, but is another one of Europe’s finest being earmarked for a move to the Etihad?
According to Spanish news outlet Sport, City have contacted Real Madrid sensation Rodrygo in the hopes of bringing him to England.
The Brazilian will likely wait until Madrid have appointed a new manager following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure to take over as the Brazil manager.
The right offer could certainly tempt the La Liga giants into a sale, with a price tag set at around the €100m (£85m) mark, then the winger could be on the move.
Much will depend on how much Guardiola is willing to spend on the player, especially if he is successful in a deal to sign Wirtz, but City are lining up a swoop for the Brazil international.
Rodrygo on the right flank could certainly provide some much-needed attacking dynamism to the first-team, and he would work wonders for Haaland.
Why City should sign Rodrygo
Across 267 games for Madrid, the 24-year-old has registered 118 goal contributions – 68 goals and 50 assists in all competitions.
These goal involvements have helped the club win two La Liga crowns and two Champions League titles, but it looks as though his time in the Spanish capital might be coming to an end.
Capable of scoring goals in the biggest and most important games, he was hailed by journalist Dougie Critchley as being a “big game player” and this is someone Guardiola would surely love to have at his disposal next term.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, the Brazilian ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes, progressive carries, touches in the opposition penalty area, and progressive passes received per 90.
Additionally, he also ranks in the top 9% for assists and top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90 across the previous 365 days.
These qualities could be a dream for the Norwegian sensation. With Rodrygo getting into dangerous positions so often, especially in the attacking penalty area, Haaland would be the one to benefit, being offered countless chances in front of goal.
In La Liga this season, the Madrid winger has created five big chances while averaging 1.6 key passes per game. Add in the fact he succeeds with 1.6 dribbles – a success rate of 52% – per game, and it is clear to see exactly what he could offer to City from this summer onwards.
He and Haaland would make for a dream partnership that Guardiola would hope not only gives the club a chance at reclaiming back the Premier League title, but also for another chance of winning the Champions League.
A lot of factors will have to work in City’s favour for a move to go ahead, but as the Spaniard knows, he cannot afford for his team to perform so poorly throughout 2025/26.
With Rodri set to return from injury soon, plus new signings like Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush settling in nicely, City have the tools ready to begin a brand-new era at the Etihad.
Adding Rodrygo would be the icing on the cake.
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