Haaland’s agent refuses to deny ‘Real Madrid’ clause

Erling Haaland’s future remains up for debate. This was the conclusion drawn from the first media interview given by Rafaela Pimenta, the heiress to the empire created by Mino Raiola, the agent who handled the Norwegian superstar’s affairs up until his death on 30 April.

Pimenta gave her first televised interview to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marizo, in which they discussed the attacker’s contractual situation. When asked directly about whether there is a release clause in Haaland’s contract at Manchester City which would allow him to move to Real Madrid in 2024, as reported by AS, Pimenta refused to deny its existence.

“The good thing about being a lawyer is that, when they press about a particular subject, I can say that I can’t talk about it.”

Pimenta chose to sidestep the issue completely rather than simply go along with Pep Guardiola’s recent comments denying that the clause exists. The Brazilian opted not to confirm anything either way but did express her belief that Haaland would end up leaving City at some point. “He will be the first footballer to be transferred for around €1bn,” a figure she justified by saying that the Norwegian is already worth that amount due to “his football value, his image vale, his sponsor value and his impact on the market.”

Asked about whether Haaland’s superb start at City could lead to the Norwegian extending his contract with the Citizens until 2027, Pimenta was open to the idea. “Will we have discussions about it soon? I hope so. If they want to discuss it today, I would be happy. Why not?”