Record-smashing striker Erling Haaland has admitted that Manchester City bought him for one key reason: to win the Champions League.
With the big Norwegian helping his team into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night —well, almost single-handedly launching them into it with five goals against RB Leipzig — the question once again arose as to whether or not City can actually do it this year.
As well as manager Pep Guardiola conceding that many would consider him ‘a failure’ if he falls short of winning the club’s first UCL title again this season, it being the only trophy that he hasn’t won since arriving at the Etihad, Haaland is making no bones about the job he was brought in to do either.
Speaking to CBS Sports after their massive 7-0 win, the star striker admitted: “Of course the club want to win the Champions League, they want to still win trophies. They won the Premier League four times out of the last five years so they didn’t bring me in to win the [league], they know how to do that already”.
🔵 Erling Haaland after last night's fantastic 5⃣ in the Champions League!
"So, you can read between the lines. I'm here to try to help the club develop even more and to win the Champions League for the first time."#MCFC#Haaland
The 22-year-old went on to say of his transfer, “you can read between the lines… I’m here to try to help the club develop even more, to try to win the Champions League for the first time.”
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As for his Catalan coach, he said that the idea of ‘failure’ is something he feels on a regular basis, insisting that no matter what he does or wins, “nothing will be enough, that’s why I enjoy it”.
Back in February, Guardiola said that it took him “a few years” to understand the kind of pressure being at City has piled on, noting that many push the “perspective that everything is a disaster if you don’t win some prizes” but that he doesn’t want to put any more on himself than there already is.
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He went on to quip, “I have to win three, four Champions Leagues [to be deemed a success]. Unless you are Madrid, the rest cannot do it, adding that the last two seasons we have been really close, really good games” and they will simply “try to do it again.” Having Haaland gives them more than a decent chance.
I mean, he still broke three other records in one night.
Pep also happened to bring up his ‘idol’… Julia Roberts? As you do. 😅https://t.co/Z07IfofRMc
Even without getting his chance for a double hattrick, Haaland managed to break three records in one night both on a club level and in the Champions League, so it’s safe to say the signs are looking positive.
Now on 39 goals across all competitions this season, the only question is will the goals come in the key games and the rest of the team put in the right performances in the big games?
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Either way, Pep will never be happy — we blame Julia Roberts and so does he…
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
16th March 2023 
