CARDIFF — Erling Haaland has been unaffected by the Premier League's "sham contract" verdict against Manchester City, according to the Norway camp, as the striker prepares to play for the first time since the ruling when Norway face Wales in Cardiff on Thursday (19:45 BST). Haaland, who has 65 goals in 57 international appearances for Norway, signed for City in 2022 — four years after the last of the nine seasons City were found to have broken financial rules — with the club continuing to deny any wrongdoing.
He trained as normal at Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday evening after being kept away from the media before and after Norway's Nations League defeat by Portugal on Sunday as reports of the guilty verdict first emerged. Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer, who has 59 caps, said the 26-year-old had been "no different" since the news broke, adding: "He's been exactly the way he's always the same with the national team. He's truly focused on the upcoming games. I think he's trying to do the same as everyone else, wait and see what the outcome is - but right now the main focus is Wales tomorrow night." Manager Stale Solbakken attempted to deflect questions, saying Haaland was "very good" and "scoring goals" before admitting he did miss one chance against Portugal he would normally have finished, adding: "What we speak about is between him and me."
Ajer said he had seen no change in Haaland's demeanour: "No not at all. Ever since I met him brings lot of energy and joy to the group," he said. "The biggest compliment I always give is that he hasn't changed a bit from the moment I met him even though he's the biggest star on the planet right now. He's been exactly the same the last few days as well which is not a surprise for me." Haaland scored in the 2-1 defeat by Portugal in Oslo and twice in the 3-2 win over Denmark to reach his tally of 65 in 57 appearances, and could link up with captain Martin Odegaard, who trained in Cardiff following the challenge from former Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva that was the subject of criticism on Friday night.
Solbakken praised Wales manager Craig Bellamy's impact despite Wales' winless run of six, saying he has "modern ideas" and suggesting the side are low in confidence after missing out on a place in the summer's World Cup following a play-off defeat on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ajer added he sees similarities between the sides, saying: "It's a similar population and the same work ethic from both countries," and expects a very tough game between two equal sides. The focus on Haaland comes after Manchester City were found guilty of sham contracts in an £830m scheme, a verdict that has placed renewed scrutiny on the former champions.