The end of the 2022-23 English Premier League season is only eight games away, and the title race is starting to get intense. As things stand, Arsenal are leading the pack, and Manchester City are six points behind them with a game in hand. Over the next few weeks, the competition is expected to be immense.
Both clubs have been clinical this season, and both are hungry to lift the Premier League title at the end of this season. A hefty chunk of the credit for the performance of Manchester City goes to their summer signing Erling Haaland, who scored 49 goals in the last two Bundesliga seasons with Borussia Dortmund – a tally he wants to match in a single Premier League season.
Manchester City have taken 67 points from 29 games so far. They are the top scorers with 75 goals, out of which Haaland has been involved in 35. In his debut season in England’s top-flight, the Norwegian striker has bagged 30 goals and provided five assists, keeping the Cityzens alive in the title race.
The impressive stint with Borussia Dortmund helped the club slap a big price tag on Haaland, as the striker attracted the interest of several clubs, including Real Madrid and Manchester United. Ultimately, the 21-year-old picked Manchester City. He cost the defending champions €75 million plus €10 million in add-ons, and so far, the Norwegian has been worth every penny.
It is always risky to bring a young player from another league to the Premier League and expect him to perform at a top level. Many players have struggled to adapt in the past, but this time Pep Guardiola rolled the dice, and the right numbers came up. Haaland is already seven goals clear of Harry Kane in the Premier League Golden Boot race.
The five-year contract signed by Haaland sees him earn about €427,500 per week. On an annual basis, Haaland makes over €22 million and will continue to do so till 2026 because that is when his current contract expires. The 21-year-old has the second-highest wage at the club, just behind Kevin De Bruyne, who makes €456,000 per week,
Looking at his wage, each goal that Haaland has scored this season in the Premier League is worth about €733,000. This figure could drop further down as City still have nine more games to play. In addition, this calculation is only based on the goals he has scored in the Premier League.
Considering all club competitions this season, Haaland’s goal tally rises to 44. That brings the overall goal worth down to €500,000 per goal. If goal contributions are considered, the value drops further because of the Norwegian’s five assists. That brings his goal contributions to 49 and the per-contribution value down to a little under €450,000.
Haaland, undoubtedly, is the most crucial and prized asset for Manchester City now. Despite being on a five-year contract with the club, the striker is expected to attract the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs in the summer. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are expected to be the frontrunners in that race, but City are favorites to retain their prolific young striker.
