"The Next Step Could Be..." - Former Man City Defender Predicts Erling Haaland Future

"The Next Step Could Be..." - Former Man City Defender Predicts Erling Haaland Future What is the next phase for Erling Haaland at Manchester City? More Videos Haaland has been nothing short of a transformational figure for both Manchester City and the Premier League since arriving in England during the summer transfer window of 2022 from Borussia Dortmund. During his first season alone, Erling Haaland broke multiple goalscoring records en route to claiming the English top-flight title, FA Cup, and playing an instrumental role in City winning their first-ever UEFA Champions League honour. Since arriving at the Etihad, Haaland has amassed a total of 212 appearances across all competitions under Pep Guardiola and now Enzo Maresca , scoring a remarkable 176 goals in the process and providing a further 30 assists. But despite his ongoing success at the club, particularly in front of goal, there has long been conversation about Erling Haaland's longevity in Sky Blue, and whether he may opt for a new challenge away from the English game after achieving so much. Speaking during a new conversation with  BetWright , former Manchester City defender Michael Ball has been quizzed on whether Erling Haaland would stay within English football if he was to leave the Etihad Stadium at some stage in his career. “I have always felt his career has a clear progression," Ball admitted. "He did well at Dortmund, moved to City - the club he supported as a child - and wanted to win everything there." Ball continued, "The next step could be another major challenge, perhaps Real Madrid or Barcelona. I find it difficult to see him staying in the Premier League if he leaves City. "From the outside, it feels as though he wants to experience different stages and tick off different achievements. But only he knows. If he is happy in England, he might want to stay.” On the subject of a potential move to Real Madrid in the Spanish top-flight for Erling Haaland, Michael Ball was asked for his thoughts on the possibility of a link-up between the Norway international and French superstar Kylian Mbappe . “I would not want to play against them," Ball admitted. "I would be happy watching from the sofa, though. Having those two together would be a fantastic spectacle.” For now, it remains highly unlikely that a move for Erling Haaland away from Manchester City is due in the immediate future, especially given his contractual ties to the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2034. However, recent events concerning Manchester City and the guilty verdict issued by the Premier League upon the club for prolonged breaches of the division's financial rules have sparked uncertainty over where Enzo Maresca's side will be playing their football next season. With an appeal process believed to be getting underway in the coming weeks, with those at City strongly denying any wrongdoing, speculation over possible punishments for the football club remain merely speculation alone. But if the worst was to happen and Manchester City found themselves forced into relegation, then many of their first-team stars would likely have big decisions to make over their futures at the club - including Erling Haaland among several others.