Non-league Ashton make cheeky 28-day loan offer for Haaland to cover World Cup break

• Non-league side make Haaland loan offer
• 28-day contract covering four games
• Ashton United sit 11th in Northern Premier League

WHAT HAPPENED? Ashton United, a seventh-tier outfit on the English football pyramid, released a statement on November 14 confirming they had submitted an offer to City, requesting Haaland on loan for 28 days. No, really.

WHAT THEY SAID: A statement released to the Northern Premier League club's website read: "Ashton United can confirm that the club has submitted a 28-day loan approach for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

"With the current Premier League champions not in action until late December due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, The Robins have reached out to our neighbours at the Ethiad in order to keep Haaland’s match fitness with him not being involved in Qatar."

Club manager Michael Clegg added: “It just makes sense. City aren’t playing, and we want to help by keeping Erling fit, it makes more sense than him playing golf for six weeks.

“We think he will be a great fit for us, and would slot in with our squad dynamic really well.” 

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Haaland will miss the World Cup with Norway having not qualified for the tournament in Qatar. And while he plans to take some time away on holiday during that period, The Robins - who play at Hurst Cross and are less than a 20-minute drive away from the Etihad Stadium - have offered him the chance to stay match fit - albeit most definitely in tongue-in-cheek fashion.

If City and Haaland were to somehow accept the offer, he would be available for a four-game stretch, missing a fifth due to international duty.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

@AshtonUnitedFC Twitter

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WHAT NEXT FOR HAALAND? Not Ashton, most likely. Instead, the 22-year-old is set for a holiday in the sun and a break in his homeland, before returning to train - in Beswick with City, of course.