Erling Haaland tipped to seal Saudi Arabia switch as pundit makes £200m transfer claim

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit believes that Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland will join a Saudi Pro League club – but not until the end of his career.

The Norwegian international is arguably the best striker in the world and has started the season in a typically prolific style, netting 10 goals in seven appearances so far.

Haaland is the quickest man to reach 50 Premier League goals and has scored eight league hattricks – the same as Thierry Henry and Michael Owen.

The 24-year-old will no doubt keep destroying and setting records for years to come. With the Saudi Pro League looking to attract the biggest star’s in the game, bringing Haaland to the Gulf State would be a huge statement.

Petit believes that Haaland may well be bound for Saudi, but for now he will be fully focused on firing Man City to silverware.

“I think one day we could end up seeing Erling Haaland in Saudi Arabia, depending on how they develop,” Petit told TVKampen.

“But because Haaland can’t write his name in the history books with his nation, he’ll have to do it all at club level, and he will concentrate on that for a very long time.”

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Petit: ‘Haaland might end up out there’

Haaland is currently in the prime of his career and is expected to continue playing at this level for the foreseeable future.

He is reportedly attracting interest from European giants Real Madrid but he’s under contract at the Etihad until 2027 and Pep Guardiola will no doubt want to keep hold of him for as long as possible.

At international level, however, Haaland and Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard have failed to bring Norway to any sort of success.

Petit believes the lack of success at the international level will motivate Haaland domestically. After he has achieved all he can, Petit thinks he could head to Saudi Arabia – and not just for a huge payday.

“If he considers going to Saudi, it won’t be down to money,” Petit added. “I think his ambition is more than money and it’s not like he isn’t earning well at City.

“He wants to break records in every game, and even if Saudi offered £200 million, he’d refuse to go unless it’s towards the end of his career when I think he might end up out there.”

De Bruyne could head to Saudi next summer

One Man City superstar who could head to the Saudi Pro League much sooner is Kevin de Bruyne, who is still a key player for the Cityzens despite being past his peak at the age of 33.

De Bruyne was heavily linked with Saudi side Al-Ittihad over the summer but ultimately a move never materialised.

His contract at the Etihad is set to expire at the end of the season. He has previously hinted that he would be open to penning an extension.

“Once the season goes on, I’m sure there will be conversations to be had with City,” De Bruyne said in September.

“I just want to feel good, play good football and this will come in the upcoming months. I don’t really feel the rush for the moment.”

However, Man City are yet to open talks with the midfielder over a new contract and therefore, rumours of a move to Saudi could resurface next summer.

RANKED: The 10 biggest stars of the Saudi Pro League

10 – Ruben Neves – The £47m (€56.3m/$63m) Wolves received from Al Hilal for the Portuguese playmaker in 2023 was a club-record return. And the 27-year-old lived up to his billing in his debut Saudi Pro League season, playing 54 all-competitions games and scoring eight goals.

9 – Fabinho – A £40m (£48m/$53.6m) signing from Liverpool in the summer of 2023, the Brazilian defensive midfielder arrived in Saudi Arabia with the pedigree of having won the Premier League and the Champions League with the Reds. After his first match for Al-Ittihad, he was awarded a gold Rolex for his standout performance.

8 – Roberto Firmino – The ever-smiling Brazilian striker signed for Al-Ahli from Liverpool last year and scored a hat-trick on his debut. He’s netted 12 goals in 40 games so far since his Saudi switch.

7 – Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – A rare example of a star European player who moved to the Saudi Pro League in their prime, the former Lazio midfielder was still only 28 years old when he signed for Al Hilal in a £34m (€40m/$44.7m) last year.

6 – N’Golo Kante – The diminutive former Chelsea midfielder has so impressed since joining Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 that he earned an international recall, selected for France’s Euro 2024 squad.

5 – Riyad Mahrez – Al-Ahli paid £30m (€36m/$40.2m) to sign the France-born Algeria winger from Manchester City in 2023, a price tag the 33-year-old justified with 12 goals in his first season.

4 – Sadio Mane – An Al Nassr team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Senegalese forward helped his Saudi side win the Arab Club Champions Cup after arriving from Bayern Munich in 2023.

3 – Karim Benzema – The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has been prolific since signing for Saudi side Al-Ittihad in 2023, scoring 21 goals in 37 appearances.

2 – Neymar – Signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £75m (€90m/$100.6m), the Brazilian icon is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history. An ACL tear soon after his arrival means he has only played five games to date for Al Hilal.

1 – Cristiano Ronaldo – The Portuguese goal machine turns 40 in February but he still knows how to find the net. He’s scored 69 goals in 76 games for Al-Nassr.

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