Manchester City are hoping they can use Jadon Sancho's sell-on clause to leverage their position in the race with Manchester United for Erling Haaland's signature.

With Sergio Aguero's contract due to expire in June 2021 rumours concerning a potential long-term successor for the Argentine are beginning to heat up. 

Regardless of whether Aguero decides to stay beyond the current campaign, City will need to start preparing for life without their record goal scorer now that he has entered the twilight years of his career.

Gabriel Jesus is the only other recognised senior centre-forward at the club, though Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres and Kevin De Bruyne have all impressed when deputising at the spearhead of the attack. 

According to a report published by The Sun on Sunday morning, City are one of a number of clubs - including local rivals United - who are in the hunt for Haaland.

Intriguingly, the Citizens believe a clause in the deal that saw Jadon Sancho move to Borussia Dortmund in 2017 could give them the upper hand. 

City included a 15% sell-on clause in the sale of Sancho, and the report suggests the North West outfit may now be willing to waiver or re-negotiate that clause as part of the deal for Haaland. 

With Dortmund valuing Sancho at £120m, the sell-on agreement could be worth £18m to the German outfit. 

Given Haaland's phenomenal form at Molde, RB Salzburg and Dortmund, and the fact he is just 20 years of age, it's easy to see why City believe the Norway international could lead the line at the Etihad Stadium for the next decade. 

Haaland's dad, Alf-Inge, played for both City and Leeds United during his career as a central midfielder, and a picture that surfaced on social media previously suggests that the Dortmund talisman was a boyhood City supporter. 

Perhaps Haaland's sentimental affiliation with City will also give Pep Guardiola and co. the upper hand in their battle with United. 

With a return of 19 goals in just 16 appearances for Dortmund this season, there's arguably no better candidate on the planet to succeed Aguero as City's goalscorer-in-chief.