Manchester City Reveal Erling Haaland Squad Number

Manchester City have revealed that marquee summer signing Erling Haaland will wear the number nine shirt for the club. 

Haaland, who completed a £51 million move from Borussia Dortmund to the Premier League Champions earlier this summer, penned a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium. 

The 21 year-old scored 86 goals in 89 matches for the Bundesliga giants, and moved to Man City after intense interest from European heavyweights including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. 

Pep Guardiola has added four new players to his squad so far this summer, with Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega all completing transfers to the Sky Blues ahead of the new campaign. 

The Norwegian, who’s father Alf-Inge Haaland made 47 appearances for City, is set to be unveiled at a special fan event at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, alongside the Champions’ other summer recruits. 

Haaland is also expected at the City Football Academy next week, with Guardiola’s title winning side due to return for pre-season on Monday 11th July, before jetting out to the USA for friendlies against Club America and Bayern Munich. 

Ahead of pre-season and after continued speculation, on Saturday, the club officially announced Haaland’s squad number, with the 21 year-old inheriting the famous number nine shirt.

Despite talk of Haaland inheriting the number 15, the shirt number held by his father during his time with City, the Norwegian has opted to become the Blues’ new number nine - the squad number he held at Borussia Dortmund and wears for Norway. 

City legends such as Paul Dickov and Francis Lee have previously worn the number nine, which became vacant following Gabriel Jesus’ £45 million transfer to Arsenal earlier this summer. 

Strikers including Nolito, Alvaro Negredo and Emmanuel Adebayor have also worn the number nine shirt for City; likewise have Paul Lake, Niall Quinn, Joe Royle and Trevor Francis. 

Earlier this month, City Xtra exclusively reported that Haaland had chosen the number nine, while Haaland himself had sparked suggestions of his squad number after being pictured abroad with a City home shirt with his name and the number nine on the back. 

Speaking about becoming the Blues' new number nine, Haaland said: “I'm delighted to have been presented with the number 9. It's been part of my story over the last two years, both at club level and with the national team and I'm looking forward to continuing that at City.

"It's a shirt that every striker aspires to and to wear it at one of the best clubs in the world is a dream come true. I can't wait to get started.”

Cityzens will be hoping to see their new number nine in action later this month, with City facing FA Cup Winners Liverpool in the Community Shield at the King Power Stadium on Saturday 30th July. 

Haaland will be hoping to make his Premier League debut one week later when Guardiola’s side kick-off their Premier League title defence away to West Ham at the London Stadium. 

The 21 year-old will be aiming to make his home debut against Bournemouth in August, though the Norwegian has played at the Etihad previously - coming up against City in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals in 2021.