By George Overhill

14th Apr, 2022 | 7:07pm

Pep Guardiola wants ultimate wonderkid Erling Haaland for Manchester City 'at all costs'

Pep Guardiola wants to bring Erling Haaland “at all costs” as the race for the hottest property in world football hots up, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker is on the wish list of just about every big club in Europe, and is expected to command extremely high wages.

City are one of few sides where weekly numbers of around half a million pounds would not be a stumbling block, and after the protracted and ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Harry Kane last summer, the former Barcelona boss is all in on the Norwegian.

Despite some injury issues this season, the former Red Bull Salzburg striker has still scored 23 goals in 25 appearances, and such is the level of his reputation it is easy to forget he is still only 21.

Chelsea made a sustained push to beat the rush for him last summer but the Bundesliga side held firm having already sanctioned the sale of Jadon Sancho to Manchester United, and with the Blues’ situation tied up in the sale of the club they look to be out of the race.

A £63million release clause has since come into effect, making him a no-brainer of a transfer target for anyone who can afford it.

However, with such a certain cash-cow on the move, his agent Mino Raiola and father, former City man Alf-Inge, are also demanding massive bonuses, with the Daily Mail reporting that the total cost of the deal is set to be around £100million.

That is still certainly affordable for the Premier League leaders, who are still in prime position to defend their league title despite the exit of Sergio Aguero last summer.

Romano reports that Real Madrid still believe they can tempt Haaland, although with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu by PSG’s Kylian Mbappe long predicted for this summer, it is going to take some extremely creative accounting to get that past FFP regulations.

The Mail reports that the decision, that has been in the offing all season, is set to be made in the next two weeks, with the Parisian giants and Barcelona also still in the running.

Haaland is just about as close to a guarantee of goals as there is currently, and could tilt the balance of the battle with Liverpool for English supremacy firmly in the direction of the Citizens.

A month ago the Daily Mail were reporting that the reigning Premier League champions were the favourites to sign him, and his father’s history with the club as a factor.

A decision on the next destination for football’s ultimate wonderkid isn’t far off, and Guardiola looks to be at the front of the queue to get his man.