Guardiola ‘will not be obstacle’ to Haaland exit after telling Man City team-mates ‘it’s not good enough’

Man City boss Pep Guardiola will not stand in the way of Erling Haaland if he wants to move away from the Etihad Stadium next summer, according to reports.

The Citizens had a poor season by their standards in the 2024/25 campaign with Man City recovering late on to finish third and qualify for the Champions League.

Guardiola’s side finished 13 points adrift of champions Liverpool after winning the Premier League title in the previous four seasons.

An injury to Rodri in September was one of the main reasons for their drop off, while Haaland did not quite reach the heights of his first couple of seasons at Man City, although he still managed 22 Premier League goals.

Man City have brought in plenty of new players over the past two transfer windows to help them challenge for the Premier League title again – but this season has not got off to the best start in 2025/26.

After taking just three points from their first three matches, reports in Spain claim that Haaland ‘could reconsider his future if this season doesn’t live up to expectations’.

READ: Haaland pulls ahead of Ekitike and Gyokeres in the Golden Boot race despite Man City defeat

The report, which touches on Barcelona’s interest in Haaland, adds: ‘If this season follows the same path and the Norwegian feels his time in the Premier League is over, Guardiola will not be an obstacle to his departure, provided the club receives an offer that comes close to what he considers fair value.

‘Haaland has a current contract, and his departure won’t be easy. Manchester City, aware of the forward’s market share, will demand a multi-million dollar offer to let him go. There’s talk of figures that could easily exceed €150 million, an amount within reach of very few clubs in Europe.’

The Man City striker insists the Citizens have to “get our a**es going” with their displays so far this campaign seen as “not good enough”.

Haaland said: “We’ve lost two games in a row, it’s not good enough, it’s way too bad. We need to figure it out, get back to winning ways. We can’t afford to lose games, as there’s so many good teams.

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“It’s perfect to turn things around against United. We need to all be on our best, get our a**es going, get things going, because it’s not been good enough so far.

“Losing’s not cool, of course. It’s annoying. You need to use it to something positive. As motivation to do better the next game, and I expect that we are.

“We need to use the angriness inside us out on the pitch to deliver at our highest level.”

Alexander Isak transferred to potential Premier League title rivals Liverpool over the summer but Man City boss Guardiola reckons Haaland is better.

When asked whether Haaland ranks compared to Isak, Guardiola told a press conference on Friday: “Erling a bit above. Isak is an exceptional player. You ask what Erling is as a striker – he’s the top. But Isak must be a top player for what they paid, obviously.

“Another person would say Mbappe, another person would say Messi, another person would say Cristiano. That’s fine.

“It is a game of opinions and everyone has the right to an opinion. What I’m saying is that I would not change Erling for anyone. I know him. He is incredible as a player, adorable as a person and I like him.”

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