Manchester City staff reportedly made jokes at the expense of their neighbors Manchester United after the Cityzens signed Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
The prolific Norwegian striker is one of Europe's most sought-after forwards, having destroyed Bundesliga defenses ever since joining Dortmund in 2020. The 21-year-old has scored 61 goals in 66 Bundesliga appearances so far.
Manchester City have agreed to a £51 million fee for the striker that has led to staff reportedly mocking United for their past transfer dealings.
According to ESPN (per Daily Mail), City cracked jokes as they compared Haaland's transfer fee with Fred's transfer fee in 2018.
The Brazilian midfielder joined the Red Devils from Shaktkar Donetsk for £53.1 million.
He has often been criticized for his performances at United ever since the move. Interestingly, he was also a reported Pep Guardiola target prior to the Brazilian's transfer to Old Trafford (per MEN).
Manchester City's noise is getting louder and Manchester United are falling under
“Sometimes you have a noisy neighbour. You cannot do anything about that. They will always be noisy. “You just have to get on with your life, put your television on and turn it up a bit louder." - Sir Alex Ferguson (talkSPORT)
Erling Haaland was on United's wishlist with the talismanic forward continuously gaining interest from the Red Devils over the years. However, according to Metro, the Norweigan disregarded the opportunity to move to Old Trafford as he wanted to join a side with a 'sporting project'.
That will only add to what has been a woeful period for the Red Devils, with Manchester City making all the noise this season.
Guardiola's men look set to win their fourth Premier League title under the Spaniard in five seasons. Meanwhile, United are heading towards either the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League.
Ralf Rangnick's stint in charge as interim manager has failed to have the impact many had desired at Old Trafford. United currently sit sixth and have garnered their worst ever points tally in the Premier League.
A huge summer overhaul at Manchester United beckons under new manager Erik ten Hag.
He is targeting a new striker to help ease the goalscoring burden on Cristiano Ronaldo, with Benfica striker Darwin Nunez a top target (per Express).
Manchester United may have had Haaland lining up in their attack had they still been fighting for the Premier League title. However, it seems a distant dream for now.