‘Monster striker’ Elling Holland (Manchester City) could leave the Premier League, as his agent and father have been linked with a possible move.
“Holland’s agent warned that he could leave City, while his father said his son would not stay at the same club for more than four years,” The Sun reported on Saturday.
Dubbed a “monster striker,” Holland is arguably one of the best strikers in the world. He scored a staggering 52 goals in all competitions last season, helping City win the triple crown (Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League). He was the top scorer in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Based on his dominance for City last season, he recently finished second in the 2023 Ballon d’Or voting in Paris, France, behind the “God of Soccer” Lionel Messi (Inter Miami). Instead, he was awarded the Gerd Muller Trophy, which is given to the player who scores the most goals in a calendar year.레모나토토
This season, Holland is on track to win the award for the second year in a row, as he leads the league with 13 goals. Born in 2000, he’s only 23 years old, so he’s been touted as a future Ballon d’Or winner alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe (PSG) and Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).
Holland’s performances attracted the attention of Real, who insist on keeping only the best players in the world. Unsurprisingly, City are not expected to let him go, no matter what the offer, and it was recently revealed that a buyout clause exists in his contract.
“Holland’s long-term future could be in doubt due to a buyout clause that kicks in next summer,” according to Spain’s AS, “Real would have to pay €200 million ($289 million) to trigger the clause.”
A buyout nullifies the contract between a player and a club by paying a certain amount of money, so if Real were to offer €200 million to City, the club would be able to negotiate with Holland privately, regardless of what City wanted to do.
The prospect of signing one of soccer’s future leaders attracted interest from a number of big European clubs, including Real Madrid. That’s when Holland’s agent, Haffaella Pimenta, sparked the transfer speculation by saying that a move could happen if the player wanted it.
“He is always the master of his own destiny,” she said, according to the outlet. “He will always do what is good for him and for City, but when everyone is open to change, change will happen,” she insisted.
“There is no doubt that he will always be respectful and that City will respect him,” she continued, “and if something happens one day, we will agree every step of the way with the club. It’s always about respect,” he added.
The media also revisited interviews given in the past by Holland’s father, Alfinge Holland. Alpinge Holland previously played for City from 2000-2003, and his son Elling Holland has been in a City shirt since 2022, creating the rare sight of a father and son at the same club.
“I think Elling wants to test himself in every league,” Alpaye said in the past, “and if that’s the case, he can stay in every league for up to three or four years. Two and a half years in Germany alone, two and a half years in England, and maybe Spain, Italy, France.”
Holland joined German Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, where he played for about 30 months before moving to City in the summer of 2022.
Now in his second year at City, Holland has dominated the Premier League, and if his father is to be believed, he could soon be off to Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, or France’s Ligue 1 for a new challenge.
According to The Sun, if Holland really wants a challenge, his next destination could be one of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, or PSG. There is also the possibility of a shock move to fellow Premier League club Chelsea instead of going abroad.