Haaland and Lewandowski present Manchester City with dream transfer dilemma

Whenever a transfer window swings open, there is inevitable talk of posers and dilemmas for managers up and down the country. How should budgets be spent and who will prove to be a missing piece of the jigsaw?

Manchester City have fewer concerns than most, given that their owner, Sheikh Mansour, has some of the deepest pockets in world football. They are not immune to some big decisions, though. It may be that more are faced over the coming months, with Pep Guardiola still without a prolific number nine heading towards the turn of a calendar year. Will that issue be addressed in January?

If attention is once again turned elsewhere, then the summer can be expected to bring with it a foray into the market for proven striking talent.

Who will Manchester City target?

Given the funds available, no player should be considered out of reach for City. That is quite some position to be in. If speculation is to be believed, which is always a risky business, then Guardiola could be left picking between the likes of Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

Bullseye 🎯
🎥:@Bundesliga_DE pic.twitter.com/l4LxPcwVpJ

— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) October 14, 2021

That would be some headache – one akin to having to choose between a brand new Lamborghini and a vintage Ferrari. Whatever you go with, the chances are that you will be more than happy with the end result. When presented with choices such as that, factors like personal preference, price, and age come into the equation. The latter is particularly true when it comes to the Haaland versus Lewandowski debate.

There are never any guarantees in sport, but two men currently plying their trade in the Bundesliga are about as close to that as it is possible to find in the goalscoring department. Were City to acquire either, then Space Casino betting on football would likely see further weight thrown behind the current Premier League champions, who are currently priced at -112 as the odds-on favorites for another win. Rival defenses should certainly start readying themselves for the toughest of tests.

Which deal makes the most sense?

It appeared for long periods during the summer of 2021 that Harry Kane would be the man to fill a central striking berth at the Etihad Stadium, but no deal could be done with Tottenham. That ship may now have sailed.
If the England captain were to be made available, then City would be foolish to pass him up. Alternative options are, however, being considered and would require no further negotiations with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

I would like to thank my family, team mates, coaches and the entire @FCBayern team🙏I am extremely proud of what we have achieved together as a team. Thank you! #GoldenShoe2021 pic.twitter.com/UzECuxSd03

— Robert Lewandowski (@lewy_official) September 21, 2021

Lewandowski would be more of a stop-gap at 33 years of age, but he has worked with Guardiola before at Bayern Munich and continues to set remarkable standards that are keeping him in Ballon d’Or contention. Haaland, who will turn 22 in July 2022, would be a long-term option in Manchester and a move to England could see him follow in the footsteps of his father Alf Inge – who represented City between 2000 and 2003.
He will not come cheap, though, as half of Europe is pursuing his signature, and the up-and-coming Norwegian will likely end up in a position where he can dictate his own future. With so many options to choose from, the final decision will be his.

City may miss out in that scramble. If they do, then Lewandowski would be a more than fitting second choice. Kane could be the third pick, Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina fourth, and any number of other prolific marksmen further down the list.

What is clear is that Guardiola will not be losing any sleep. This is no nightmare, more the stuff of dreams.