Jamie Carragher says Erling Haaland arrival at Etihad will not guarantee Man City success
Manchester City have been cautioned that their capture of Erling Haaland will not guarantee them success. Manchester City lifted the Premier League title last season and are on course for a fourth title in five years this season.
But the Premier League giants have struggled in the UEFA Champions League over the last couple of years. There is a huge believe that City’s triumph in the Champions League will be boosted by the signing of a competent center forward having Pep Guardiola heavily relied on midfielders and wingers as false 9 in these periods.
Earlier this week, the Premier League champions have announced that they have reached agreement with Borussia Dortmund over Haaland transfer which the deal is subjected to agreeing personal terms.
The proposed summer deal will undoubtedly boost Manchester City’s title chances in both England and Europe with Manchester City hoping to continue their dominance in domestic competitions and be relieved of their European nightmares.
However, their flourish in England and Europe with Haaland- whom Carragher described as a brilliant signing- will not guarantee Pep Guardiola’s side glories claimed the Sky Sports pundit.
Speaking to Sky Sports on Haaland signing, Carragher believes the Bundesliga forward will also not only be a beneficiary to Manchester City but to the Premier League at large.
“Brilliant signing – not just for Manchester City but for the Premier League. I think we are all intrigued as to how he will do. Along with [Kylian] Mbappe you feel he is one of the next two superstars to eclipse [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo and you are just delighted he’s in the Premier League.
“More often than not those players have gone to a Real Madrid or Barcelona, but you feel like the Premier League is the strongest league now – you’ve seen how well we’ve done in the Champions League.
“He will score goals – that’s what he has been brought in to do, of course he will. But that doesn’t guarantee that City will win everything. They will have to integrate him into the team. That means City will lose a creative player who helps them keep the ball.
“There are lots of questions, including from myself. We will be analysing his performances at City and how he fits in. They had a world-class striker a few years ago in Sergio Aguero and they have another one now.”
City’s bid to win an elusive Champions League again failed this season after their agonising exit to Real Madrid, and the former Liverpool defender believes this is where Haaland could make a crucial difference.
“It makes Man City stronger, of course it does,” said Carragher. “But I look at it a different way. There are so many points you can win in a season. Haaland is not going to elevate City to a different level, they are already at that level of getting 96 to 100 points a season.
“There will be small differences in certain games. You think back to Manchester City’s semi-final defeat to Real Madrid – if Haaland is playing, you would expect City to get through. I’m talking about making the difference there.
“There is not a huge jump for City to make – they are already at the highest level. Consistency-wise, over the last three or four years, they have probably been the best in Europe. It’s just to make a small difference in the biggest of games, such as those against Real Madrid.”
Haaland chose to join City over a number of Europe’s other biggest clubs, including Real, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but Carragher believes the Norway international could still target a move to the Bernabeu or the Nou Camp later in his career.
“I always think Barcelona and Real Madrid are the two biggest clubs in the world which kids dream of playing for,” he said. “From my own experience at Liverpool, unless you were ultra-successful and doing everything you could, if one of those clubs came for one of your players you had a problem.
“The same happened with Manchester United and Ronaldo. When those clubs come calling it is difficult to keep your players and it may be the case in five years’ time, that Haaland ends up at Madrid or Barcelona. That is the pull of those two clubs.”
