Pep Guardiola willing to wait on grief-stricken Erling Haaland

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is willing to give Erling Haaland time to grieve the death of his father, Alf-Inge, before making a decision on his future.

The 22-year-old striker has been linked with a move to the Premier League champions, but Guardiola said he will not put any pressure on Haaland to make a decision.

"We are all very sad for Erling and his family," Guardiola said. "He is a young man who has lost his father, and we need to give him time to grieve.

"We will not put any pressure on him to make a decision about his future. When he is ready, he will let us know what he wants to do."

Haaland has scored 86 goals in 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund since joining the club in 2020. He has also scored 20 goals in 21 appearances for Norway.

His father, Alf-Inge, died on Monday at the age of 63. He was a former footballer who played for Leeds United, Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest.

Haaland is understood to be close to his father, and his death is a major blow to the young striker.

Guardiola said he will give Haaland all the time he needs to grieve.

"We are here for him, and we will support him in any way we can," Guardiola said. "He is a strong young man, and I am sure he will come through this difficult time."