Erling Haaland has stunned fans by chopping off his trademark blonde locks as the Manchester City superstar unveiled a dramatic new look ahead of the Premier League season.
The Norwegian striker revealed his transformation on social media on Sunday morning, just hours before City begin their campaign against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland has become instantly recognisable for his long blonde hair during his hugely successful spell in English football, regularly wearing it tied back while terrorising Premier League defences.
But the 26-year-old has now opted for a dramatically shorter style as City prepare to enter a new era of their own.
“Short hair, don’t care,” Haaland wrote alongside a collection of pictures showing off his haircut while promoting the latest episode of his YouTube channel.
It marks a considerable change from one of the most memorable images of Haaland’s City career.
During a thumping 4-1 victory over Arsenal in April 2023, the striker removed his hairband and celebrated with his long hair flowing after scoring late on a memorable evening at the Etihad.
City’s victory proved crucial in their pursuit of the Premier League title as they eventually overhauled Arsenal to become champions.
Erling Haaland has stunned fans by chopping off his trademark blonde locks as the Manchester City superstar unveiled a dramatic new look ahead of the Premier League season
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ERLING HAALAND/INSTAGRAM
Haaland will no longer need the hairband this season after opting for his close-cut appearance.
And his transformation comes at a time when City themselves are undergoing significant change.
Enzo Maresca is attempting to launch a new era following Pep Guardiola’s departure, with Sunday’s clash against Bournemouth his first Premier League fixture in charge.
City enter the match looking for a response after suffering a chastening 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Maresca is also overseeing a squad rebuild, with Elliot Anderson the only new arrival so far.
Rodri has departed for Barcelona, while Savinho is closing in on a switch to Tottenham, and Maresca has admitted further business is required before the transfer window shuts.
“I’ll try to find a new Rodri, it is what it is,” he said.
“Rodri, before he arrived here, he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, he didn’t win the Champions League, he didn’t win the Club World Cup. Then he joined the club and then after he achieved many important things.
“Now the target for us is to try to find the new Rodri.”
Maresca pointed towards City’s previous success in replacing legendary players, citing the transitions from David Silva to Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero to Haaland.
“When they leave, you need to be good and recruit the next one,” he added.
“It’s just normal, it’s a change. It’s not a problem, just go again and try to do the right things.”
Enzo Maresca has replaced Pep Guardiola as Man City boss with the club undergoing a period of change
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PAThe former Chelsea boss also acknowledged some members of his squad want to depart before the deadline.
“It doesn’t help that there are players that for different reasons want to leave, this is for sure,” Maresca said.
“But we need to adapt and we don’t want to keep players here that don’t want to stay.”
For now, attention turns to Bournemouth as City attempt to begin their latest Premier League campaign with victory.
