Manchester City made a decision during last summer’s transfer market that had a big impact on Erling Haaland throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
Last season was the Norwegian’s worst since completing his £51m move to the Etihad Stadium during the summer of 2022; however, that is by the 25-year-old’s high standards, as the striker still netted 34 goals across all competitions.
Haaland has been back to his best during the early part of the current season, with the Man City striker breaking a Champions League record on Thursday night after opening the scoring against Napoli.
Speaking about the Norwegian international’s achievement, pundit Don Hutchison praised Haaland, and stated last season’s form was a result of a “bizarre decision” Man City made.
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Don Hutchison thinks Man City were crazy for selling Julian Alvarez
Man City parted ways with Julian Alvarez last summer as the World Cup winner joined Atletico Madrid as part of an £82m deal.
This transfer shocked many in England at the time, as the Argentina star was a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s plans and took a lot of pressure off Haaland to produce in the final third.
Hutchison thinks selling Alvarez was a huge mistake on City’s part and that the decision played a big role in Haaland’s struggles throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
“I always thought the worst move they made at the start of last season was selling Julian Alvarez,” Hutchison said on ESPN FC.
“I thought that was a really bizarre move. I know they got like £90m, but it left Erling Haaland playing every domestic game, every Champions League game.
“He then got injured. He couldn’t then sort of get fit towards the end of the season because the amount of games that he was playing was just ridiculous on him.”
Thierry Henry described Haaland as the best goalscorer in football on Thursday night as the 25-year-old looks back to his best in a City shirt.
Hutchison’s claim may have some truth to it, as the Norwegian is very likely to be able to extend his current form for months, after Man City brought in Omar Marmoush in January.
- READ MORE: Manchester City fans claim ‘brilliant’ star is ‘back’ to his best after what he did vs Napoli
How Erling Haaland compared to Julian Alvarez last season
Alvarez and Haaland are different attacking players, which is why it worked so well at Man City, as it gave Guardiola several options when it came to his forward line.
While the Norwegian likes to use his physical attributes to bully defenders and score goals, the Argentina star is more technical and can play in multiple forward roles.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Erling Haaland | 48 | 34 | 5 | 4042 |
| Julian Alvarez | 57 | 29 | 8 | 3967 |
Since moving to Atletico Madrid, the 25-year-old has already become the La Liga club’s best player, and his arrival had a big impact during the 2024/25 campaign, even though Diego Simeone’s team did not win a trophy.
On the other hand, Man City certainly missed the World Cup winner, but it will remain unknown just how much of an impact he would have had at the Etihad Stadium had he stayed for another season.
