Manchester City’s Erling Haaland joining Brazilian side Fluminense? Club claim to have signed star in now-deleted post
- Article on South American champions’ website announces star striker’s arrival before being swiftly deleted
- Norway forward may have scored nine Premier League goals fewer this term, but an exit still extremely unlikely
Any Manchester City fans getting an early start on Tuesday would have been in for a nasty surprise, with Brazilian side Fluminense briefly claiming they had signed the Premier League champions’ star striker Erling Haaland.
A story appeared on the South American club’s website hailing the arrival of the Norwegian megastar under the headline ‘New signing. It’s official: Haaland has joined Fluminense’.
The only problem, of course, was the story was completely untrue. And was removed almost as quickly as it appeared.
Fluminense have yet to comment, and City’s social media team were still celebrating their team’s parade through the streets of Manchester.
While a link was still visible on Google, it took readers through to the club’s homepage where the top story announced the arrival of another Premier League star, Chelsea’s Thiago Silva, a move that has been made official.
With the transfer rumour silly season still yet to fully get under way, it is unlikely to be the last questionable story surrounding the 23-year-old Haaland, who has long been linked with a switch to Real Madrid.
In the 2022-23 season, Haaland broke the record for goals scored in a single English Premier League goals with a sensational tally of 36, while he was also the leading marksman in the Uefa Champions League as his City side completed a Treble.
It’s not been quite as impressive this time around for the Norway forward, settling for just the 27 league goals.
But it still would have been a huge surprise to see him leave City at all, let alone move outside Europe.
City and Fluminense actually met last season in the Fifa Club World Cup final in Jeddah – as champions of their respective continents – but Pep Guardiola’s side were far too strong as they comfortably won 4-0.
Fluminense do have two Uefa Champions League winners on their books: former Real Madrid skipper Marcelo arrived in February 2023 and will be joined by former Brazil teammate Silva.
Both in their late 30s, they are in the later stages of their careers, while Haaland is still just 23.
Perhaps in 2034, he could make a return to Norwegian second-tier side Bryne, where he made his professional debut at the age of 15 in 2016.
