Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reveals origins of unlikely friendship with Man City superstar Erling Haaland

Romano disclosed that he has a good relationship with the City hitman, stemming from their shared interest in video games when the striker was playing for Molde in his native Norway between 2017 and 2019. They started texting each other after Romano recognised Haaland's skills on the virtual pitch.

This unexpected friendship highlights the human side of both Romano and Haaland. It demonstrates that even those operating at the highest levels of football can forge genuine connections through shared hobbies and interests. Romano's early recognition of Haaland's talent also showcases his astute eye for the game, even beyond the transfer market.

Asked which player he most gets on with on the It's Called Soccer podcast, Romano said: "Well, look, I have very good relationship, for example, with Erling Haaland. Erling, we've always been friends because I started to text him when he was at Molde.

"I was playing video games and he was already very good at that. So, I started to text him. I say, 'Ah, you are quite good, my friend.' Yes. And so, we started to talk and then we became quite good friends."

Haaland will continue his quest to score goals for City when they host Napoli in the Champions League. Romano, meanwhile, will undoubtedly continue to cover his career closely, leveraging their pre-existing relationship to break exclusive news about the Norwegian superstar.