Bayern Munich president hints at Haaland pursuit as City await Premier League verdict

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer has publicly acknowledged the possibility of signing Erling Haaland, telling BILD TV that the club would ‘reassess the situation’ regarding the Manchester City striker ‘in a few years’ — comments that land as City await punishment for more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations.

Hainer was careful to talk up Bayern’s existing attack before entertaining the prospect of adding the Norwegian. ‘With Michael Olise, Harry Kane, and Luis Diaz, we have an excellent attack,’ he said. ‘We scored over 100 goals last season and are very well positioned offensively. If we were talking about a timeframe in a few years, we would reassess the situation.’

The 72-year-old former Adidas CEO also addressed the charges facing City directly, though declined to speculate on the outcome. ‘I don’t know the details and have no insider knowledge,’ Hainer said. ‘That’s why I don’t want to speculate about it. The fact is: if that’s what happened, consequences must be drawn.’

The backdrop to the comments is significant. Kane, who turns 34 next summer, is currently out of contract at the end of the season, and Bayern are understood to be in talks over an extension. Should the England captain eventually depart — with links to a move to the United States having surfaced — Bayern would need a high-profile replacement, and Haaland has long been on their radar.

According to reports, Bayern were among the leading clubs monitoring Haaland on each of the two previous occasions he changed clubs — his moves from Molde to Red Bull Salzburg and from Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund — before he ultimately joined City in 2022. Transfermarkt currently values Haaland at €220 million.

City’s ongoing Premier League hearing has cast a shadow over the futures of several key players at the Etihad, with the club’s ability to retain and attract talent potentially dependent on the scale of any sanctions imposed. Hainer’s willingness to reference the case publicly, even in measured terms, underlines how closely rival clubs are watching proceedings.