The 21-year-old is a natural fit at Man City given his fast-paced style of play and finishing prowess, but there are questions that remain.
Man City are one of the most possession-oriented teams in the entire world, and to a lesser extent that tracks with Dortmund's style as well. The German side held 59 percent possession in Bundesliga play this season, and over 60 percent in Champions League group stage play.
City's efficiency, however, has been a weakness given the attacking volume the club creates. City has played much of this season without a true central striker on the roster, with Pep Guardiola not replacing talisman Sergio Aguero since his departure. Haaland's arrival will require a reversion back to the setup with Aguero in the team, which could cause some tactical upheaval within Guardiola's plans.
While Man City's 13.8 percent goal conversion rate this season is tops in the Premier League, it's a far cry from Dortmund's 19 percent, fueled by Haaland's finishing. The 21-year-old has outshined his expected goals (xG) total in all three Bundesliga seasons, collecting 61 league goals on a 48.29 xG total. His +4.95 differential this season alone is only outdone in league play by stellar RB Leipzig frontman Christopher Nkunku whose +5.98 mark was achieved across 800 more league minutes than Haaland collected.
His touch efficiency is also far better than anyone else currently at City. In his 23 Bundesliga appearances this season, Haaland produced 65 non-blocked shots on 150 touches in the opposition penalty area, a whopping 43 percent shot to touch rate. He produced a shot on target with 24 percent of his touches in the penalty area. Haaland is a shot machine, and when he gets touches in advanced positions, it often results in a test for the opposition goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Man City's four-player combination that were most utilized in a purely attacking role — Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Phil Foden — collected 601 touches in the opposition penalty area, producing 165 non-blocked shots, a 27 percent rate. Even adding blocked shots only gets the four player combo to 37 percent (compared to Haaland's 43 percent).
MORE: A full breakdown of how Erling Haaland fits tactically & stylistically at Man City
How will Erling Haaland do in the Premier League?
There's no question that Haaland's early career has been slightly boosted by the Bundesliga's prolific attacking style, but he's an incredible talent who should easily make the transition.
According to advanced analytics website SmarterScout, which allows comparison of a player's performances to another league's benchmark, Haaland's attacking output in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons puts him in the 84th and 88th percentile when compared to the Premier League benchmark, and his figures of both receiving the ball in the opposition box and shooting are in the 90th percentile or above.
His shooting mark from last season (2020-21) received a 99th percentile mark when compared to the Premier League.
Haaland also received high marks in aerial duels, particularly from dead ball situations, making him a dangerous presence in front of net on set pieces as well as in midfield off goal kicks.
It may take time for Haaland to adjust to a new league, playing for a manager who gives specific and complicated instructions to his players for a particular style, but at 21 years old, Haaland should develop into one of the most fearsome strikers in Europe, if he hasn't already.