Erling's Grand Plan! Haaland has left the door open for Real Madrid by including a £175m release clause in his Man City deal... he snubbed the Spanish giants to link up with Pep Guardiola - but the Bernabeu feels like his destiny

When deciding which way to turn heading into the summer, Erling Haaland thought long and hard about the physical demands of the Premier League.

There was a belief around Manchester City last January that, with his £51million release clause six months away from activation, the striker preferred a move to Real Madrid and that the intensive English calendar was a primary reason for that.

Haaland suffered with persistent injuries at Borussia Dortmund, the only blot for a youngster who smashed goalscoring records and was coveted by European footballing royalty.