Saudi Pro League club could sign Erling Haaland for £200m – but there's a catch

Erling Haaland has been tipped for a future move to the Saudi Pro League by Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit – but only after the Norwegian ace finished his peak years in Europe. Haaland's staggering goal tally is already the stuff of legend, with the forward scoring 100 in just 105 appearances for Manchester City.

His record-breaking spree includes becoming the fastest player to score 50 Premier League goals and equaling the eight league hat-tricks scored by legends Thierry Henry and Michael Owen.

The 2024/25 season sees no dip in form for the prolific striker, as he has already scored 10 league goals in just five matches, including consecutive hat-tricks and a brace against Brentford.

With the Saudi Pro League on a mission to attract football's elite, Haaland's name would likely be on their radar. However, according to Petit, any potential decisions are likely on hold until later in his career.

“I think one day we might end up seeing Erling Haaland in Saudi Arabia, depending on how they develop,” Petit revealed to TVKampen. “But since Haaland cannot write his name in his nation's history books, he will have to do everything at club level, and he will focus on that for a very long time.”

At 24, Haaland is at the zenith of his powers, already boasting a hat-trick at club level and showing no signs of slowing down in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

However, despite Haaland's goalscoring prowess for Norway, with an impressive tally of 32 goals in 35 appearances, he and compatriot Martin Odegaard are yet to lead their national team to a major tournament. In fact, the last time Norway reached the final of a major competition was at Euro 2000, after being eliminated in the qualifying rounds for the next 12 events.

Petit believes that this international deficit will fuel Haaland's dynamism in domestic football, but once the striker has reached and left behind his peak, a move to a country like Saudi Arabia could be considered – not for a financial gain but as a new challenge towards the future. the twilight of his career.

“If he plans to go to Saudi Arabia, it won’t be about money,” Petit continued. “I think his ambition is more than money and it’s not like he’s not winning well at City.

“He wants to break records in every game, and even if Saudi Arabia offered £200m he would refuse to go there unless it was towards the end of his career, when I think he could meet there.”