EASTLEIGH boss Lee Bradbury knows all about being a big money signing at Manchester City – even if the magnitude of the fees have changed since he donned the sky blue of the Citizens.

The Premier League champions finalised a £51.2 million pound move for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland yesterday, securing the services of the 21-year-old goal machine for the next five years, with his deal starting from July 1 and ending in 2027.

Norwegian international Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund, indicating that the Leeds-born striker will fill a void in City's side that has remained since the departure of record goalscorer Sergio Aguero.

25 years earlier, Bradbury was the new arrival in Manchester, with the club breaking their then transfer record by parting with £3 million to prise the former soldier from Portsmouth.

Whilst the deal for Haaland is not a club transfer record for City, it would still dwarf the fee paid for Bradbury when adjusted for inflation.

The £3 million Bradbury cost City is now roughly equivalent to £5.8 million, whilst £51.2 million would have approximately been worth £26.4 million back in 1997.

For context, the same summer Bradbury swapped Fratton Park for Maine Road, Ronaldo moved from Barcelona to Inter Milan for a then world record fee of £19.5 million.

Still, the pressure a huge price-tag can carry remains the same, no matter the fee or the level.

Reflecting on his time at Manchester City, Bradbury told the Daily Echo: “When I went there, at the time it was big money, but I struggled for the first six games and I didn’t score a goal.

"The fans were getting a bit of unrest, and I just tried to play my football.

“That's all he has to do. He'd go there and continue hopefully where he’s left off and he's a goal scorer, hence look at the money they pay for him.

“It absolutely dwarfs what they paid for me. But it's exciting times for Man City.”

Much has changed since Bradbury left Manchester one season after joining.

At the time of his departure City had just been relegated to the third tier, whilst the Citizens still called Maine Road home.

In contrast, Haaland joins the Premier League champions at the Etihad, with ambitions of finally adding a Champions League trophy to their recent successes.

When asked if there was any advice he could offer the Norwegian international, Bradbury chuckled: “He doesn't need my advice!

“He's a great player, he's a goal scorer and he's big, he's strong, he's quick, he scores goals.

“The last-placed person to give him advice would have been me.”