Haaland Delivers Crushing Two-Word Blow to Transfer Speculation

Erling Haaland has refuted allegations about his role in Manchester City's rumored pursuit of Al Hilal's keeper Yassine Bounou.

The Morocco shot-stopper, commonly called 'Bono', was instrumental in Al Hilal's shocking elimination of City from the FIFA Club World Cup at the last-16 stage.

This upset victory sparked speculation about City's interest in Bono, who had previously impressed at Sevilla before his move to Saudi Arabia's top flight. Following the match, Haaland was spotted in conversation with the goalkeeper, leading to conjecture that their discussion centered on a potential transfer to Manchester.

However, when confronted with a widely-shared social media post featuring a photo of the duo alongside the supposed quote "Come to City", Haaland responded with just two words: "Not True".

The Norwegian striker reinforced his denial by adding a bold red cross emoji to his Instagram response.

Bono boasts an impressive resume, having claimed two Europa League titles with Sevilla and playing a crucial role in Morocco's remarkable run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals. His exceptional performances earned him third place in the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper awards for both 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, Ederson's position at Manchester City has come under scrutiny. The Brazilian custodian, approaching his 31st birthday, has shown declining consistency in recent campaigns and committed a costly blunder against Juventus in the Club World Cup group phase. City supporters also criticized him heavily online following late mistakes that gifted Real Madrid a 3–2 victory in February's Champions League encounter.

Despite strong links to a Saudi Arabian move last summer, Ederson has maintained his commitment to remaining at City, dismissing much of the transfer speculation as fabricated stories.

In a recent media interview, he stated: "My focus remains here. I'm committed to City. This club provides me with everything I need to compete for the Premier League title once more and pursue Champions League glory. My intention is to stay at this club.

"Friends often share various reports with me, but 99% of it is fabricated news. I recognize that media outlets need content for social media engagement and headlines, but there's an abundance of false information circulating about me."