Haaland is Manchester City's priority

Among the major players in any transfer window are Manchester City, with financial strength and plenty of appeal thanks to Pep Guardiola, and that will be no different in their pursuit of a new striker.

Following Ferran Torres' exit to Barcelona, coming only months after club icon Sergio Aguero left for the same destination, new additions in attack are likely.

However, Manchester City are not planning to move for a forward in January and will instead wait until the summer, when they can pursue their top target: Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland.

Competition for Haaland

"City are planning to hold meetings with Haaland's representatives over the weeks and months ahead, yet whether or not the 21-year-old Norwegian opts for a move to the Etihad Stadium is a different matter," David Ornstein wrote in the Athletic.

"There is a feeling that Real Madrid pose the biggest threat to City, but if the Spaniards manage to acquire Kylian Mbappe, it could dissuade Haaland from following suit.

"Multiple sources dismiss Barcelona's ability to mount a serious challenge and although Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are potential destinations, City may be confident of providing a more enticing proposition.

"Manchester United are thought to retain an interest in Haaland but there are doubts about whether the attraction is mutual."

Alternatives already chosen

The highest-profile option should a move for Haaland fail to materialise would be for Manchester City to reignite their interest in England captain Harry Kane.

A move for the Tottenham Hotspur forward never came to fruition due to Spurs' high demands last summer, and given that he will celebrate his 29th birthday in July, it may not be a viable option.

Instead, City are also monitoring Real Sociedad striker Alex Isak and Fiorentina centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, who was linked with Atletico Madrid last summer.

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