However, they are not willing to spend too much to sign him. Maybe the reason why they made a statement like this (if it's not a rumour) could be that they are thinking of signing Harry Kane at the first occasion.
It means Man City prioritizes signing Harry Kane, while Haaland is only an alternative. The chance to sign Harry Kane can be bigger if he doesn't interested to stay with Tottenham anymore. But he may change his mind because now Tottenham has a reputable coach, Antonio Conte. With this situation, Man City may have a little obstacle to sign Kane. While for Haaland, I don't think Man City can sign him if they don't want to spend much money. There are too many clubs interested to sign Haaland, Dortmund management must ask for big transfer fees.