Guardiola response speaks volumes after claim Haaland was dressing room burden
Erling Haaland remains widely liked by the Borussia Dortmund faithful after three goal-laden seasons with the German giants, but his move to Manchester City was not without its controversies.
The 23-year-old striker was nothing short of a sensation during his time in the Bundesliga, so much so that Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl conceded that the constant speculation surrounding where Haaland would end up next actually became a burden on the club. Rarely did a transfer window pass without Haaland being linked to one of Europe's biggest clubs.
The forward's form in front of goal became too difficult for the game's biggest outfits to ignore. 86 goals in 88 appearances in all competitions is the kind of return that makes the likes of City, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Real Madrid sit up and take notice.
As a result, all the talk actually ended up being a detriment to Dortmund. Kehl told German publication Sport Bild: "In the end, the Haaland issue became a burden in the locker room.
"As much as we always loved Haaland and he was successful with us, in the end, he became a burden on the dressing room, the club and the whole environment. He had become the subject of every conversation.
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"Outside the club, almost everything was exclusively focused on him. In the end, the timing of the transfer was right for both parties. And we are all happy for Erling that he continues to be so successful."
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Erling Haaland scored 36 Premier League goals for Manchester City last season en route to the title (Getty Images)Haaland's time at the Etihad has exceeded the expectations of many, with the Norway international breaking the Premier League record for goals scored in a league season at the first attempt. In his debut campaign, the forward netted a sensational tally of 36 goals.
It was those goals, alongside his 12 strikes in the Champions League and three in the FA Cup that helped fire City to a historic treble. But not even City are immune to speculation linking Haaland with a move elsewhere, amid claims that Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain could both be future destinations.
With that being said, Guardiola is certainly not going to let those rumours become a burden on the City dressing room like they were at Dortmund. The five-time Premier League-winning boss is not one to keep players against their will if they wish to leave, instead, he welcomes their exit.
Pressed for comment on if he'd ever stop a player from joining a rival, Guardiola told reporters: “Never. Never ever. From my point of view, I have said this to the club many times. I give my opinion to the club and they decide if the transfer suits both sides and the player.
"Why? I think that means you are a small club (if you block a transfer). Big clubs, they don’t care. They make decisions for the benefit of all three parties: players and both clubs - and the agents sometimes. So really it is not a problem. If they want to go to Chelsea or United or, I don’t know,Liverpool,whatever, what is the problem?
“They are happy to be there and the club is happy with the transfer. The other club is happy with the amount of money they spend, so it is fine. Another player will come to us and we keep going in a good spirit and a good mood.”
A timely reminder that under Guardiola's watch, no one is indispensable - just ask Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Joao Cancelo and Cole Palmer.
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