Chapter 441: Haaland's Admiration and Man City's European Dominance
Guardiola was surprised by the visit from Alf-Inge Haaland, but when he heard that Alf-Inge wanted to bring his son to join the club, he welcomed them warmly and personally took them to the youth academy for a trial.
After the trial, Guardiola had high praise for young Haaland. Despite being only 15, Haaland was tall, strong, and had a keen sense for goal-scoring, making him an ideal striker. Unlike typical tall strikers, he was also very fast and agile, not at all clumsy. Although his technical skills needed work, these could be improved with training. Guardiola believed that with hard work and proper coaching, Haaland could become an excellent player. If necessary, Lin Quan could give him special training to improve his shooting skills. With Haaland's physique, speed, strength, and agility, if his shooting was polished, he could easily become a top-tier player.
Guardiola was very satisfied with Haaland and signed him immediately. Since Haaland was 15, Man City first signed him to a 3-year youth contract, with a plan to sign a professional contract when he turned 18. Typically, youth players' wages are low, but Man City is generous, offering up to £7,000 a week for top youth talents. For Haaland, they offered a weekly wage of £5,000, showing how highly Guardiola regarded him.
The Haaland family was very pleased with the offer. Having lived in the UK for many years, they knew that the average monthly wage was around £2,000, so Haaland earning more than double that per week was incredible. Additionally, with Guardiola's interest in him, Haaland was likely to secure a better contract when he turned 18.
After signing the contract, Guardiola gave them a tour of the club's new training facilities. Alf-Inge was astonished by the transformation since Sheikh Mansour's takeover. Man City's facilities were now world-class, a far cry from the struggling, lower-middle team he remembered, even being relegated in 2001. Now, Man City aimed for league titles and Champions League glory every season.
Alf-Inge felt bittersweet, wishing he had been part of this new era but knowing his own limits. He hoped his son could fulfill the dreams he couldn't achieve.
Young Haaland, a lifelong Man City fan, was thrilled to join the club's academy, following in his father's footsteps. Meeting famous players in the club left him starstruck.
"Hey, newbie, what position do you play?" asked Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, the club's star youth players, curious about the newcomer.
Haaland's intense gaze and strong build left them momentarily speechless. Foden and Sancho exchanged a look of mutual apprehension. They realized that while they might be trying to intimidate the newcomer, he was the one who looked imposing.
"I'm Foden, a midfielder, and he's Sancho, a U17 right winger."
"U17?" Haaland questioned, noticing they looked about his age.
"Yes, we're in U17. The U15 kids are no match for us, so the coach promoted us," Foden explained proudly.
Haaland understood. Their skills seemed decent, and their positions on the field could greatly assist him as a forward. It was essential to build a good rapport with them to ensure more goal-scoring opportunities.
With his good social skills, Haaland quickly befriended Foden and Sancho, despite being the youngest. Despite their initial intention to dominate him, Foden and Sancho found themselves seeing Haaland as their leader.
After a few dominating performances in the U15, Haaland was quickly promoted to the U17 team, where he continued to impress. Foden and Sancho, realizing Haaland's talent, were glad to have him as their leader.
Lin Quan was intrigued by Haaland and occasionally watched his matches. Seeing Lin Quan in the stands motivated the trio to perform even better. They formed a formidable attacking trio, with Foden on the left, Sancho on the right, and Haaland in the center. This combination proved unstoppable in the U17 league, with few teams able to withstand their attacks. Soon, everyone knew about the rising stars in Man City's youth academy.
Some teams started sending scouts to watch the trio (Foden, Sancho, Haaland) play, hoping to poach them. Though it's difficult to poach from Man City, given their financial power, strong performance, and great team atmosphere, it's not impossible. Many youth players might not make it to Man City's first team and would prefer to move elsewhere for more playing time. This happens often in football, where many youth players from top clubs end up playing for other teams.
However, if the trio's talent and potential were too outstanding, poaching them would be much harder, as neither Guardiola nor Man City would easily let them go. As their fame grew, more fans came to watch their matches. After watching the first team's games, fans with time to spare would eagerly watch the youth matches, often free or very cheap. For die-hard Man City fans, watching future stars grow step by step was uniquely satisfying, like playing a game of developing football stars.
While Haaland and the young players were dominating the U17 league, Man City's first team was also on fire in the Premier League. In the eighth round, Man City thrashed Newcastle United 6-1 at home, followed by a 5-1 demolition of Bournemouth in the ninth round. Scoring 11 goals in two games sent shivers down the spines of other Premier League teams.
What was more terrifying was the distribution of these 11 goals among 7 players: Lin Quan scored 3, Aguero 2, David Silva 2, with De Bruyne, Kroos, Kante, and Nasri each scoring one. In previous seasons, Man City's attack heavily relied on Lin Quan, but this season, under Guardiola's guidance, their attack became more versatile and formidable. Every attacking player was capable of scoring, making them incredibly hard to defend against.
On October 22, the third round of the Champions League group stage began. Riding high on their victories, Man City hosted last season's Europa League winners, Sevilla. The two teams had met in the early season's UEFA Super Cup, where Sevilla put up a tough fight, causing Man City some trouble. Although Man City eventually won, they did not underestimate Sevilla's strength.
Sevilla had recently defeated Barcelona in La Liga, showcasing their prowess. They were not a team to be taken lightly. Man City prepared thoroughly, studying Sevilla's tactics and making specific plans. Guardiola fielded his strongest lineup, showing great respect for their opponents.
Despite this, Sevilla's coach could only smile bitterly. They were just an ordinary team with a few lucky Europa League wins, but here they were, facing the reigning European champions at their home. Seeing Man City's thorough preparations, Sevilla's coach knew they had little chance.
As expected, Man City displayed their terrifying dominance, giving Sevilla no chance. Man City had 87% possession, 37 shots, 11 on target, and scored 4 goals. Sevilla had a mere 13% possession, just two shots, and only managed to enter Man City's final third five times. Man City fans watching the game were ecstatic, thoroughly enjoying the match.
Among the spectators were Man City's youth players, who were thrilled to see their idols perform so brilliantly. When Lin Quan scored in the 78th minute, weaving through multiple defenders, the atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak.
"Wow, Lin Quan is amazing!" "That goal was incredible!"
The young players were in awe.
"I've decided, I'm going to be the next Lin Quan!" declared Foden, proudly. "I'm a right winger like Lin Quan, so I'm his true successor!" argued Sancho. "Lin Quan can play multiple positions—attacking midfielder, shadow striker—can you?" retorted Foden, hands on his hips.
Seeing the two about to argue, Haaland stepped in as the peacemaker.
"Come on, guys, let's not fight. It doesn't matter what we call ourselves. We need to train hard and prove ourselves on the field. Let the fans and football experts decide who's the best."
Both Foden and Sancho realized he was right. No matter how much they boasted, it wouldn't mean anything without others' recognition.
Neither considered Haaland a competitor since his build and position were different. However, after watching the match, Haaland silently vowed to one day match or even surpass Lin Quan.
Man City's dominant performance against Sevilla sent shockwaves through the football world. Fans across Europe were in awe, realizing how formidable Man City had become.
Coincidentally, Manchester United, Man City's eternal rivals, were up next, setting the stage for another thrilling Manchester derby.