REAL MADRID
Haaland’s dilemma: renew with City or sign for Real Madrid
The Norwegian striker, one of the deadliest players in Europe, has just two options regarding where he will play his football in the future.
It’s not just PSG and Real Madrid fans who are keeping an eye on the future of Mbappé. There is someone very special who has one keen eye on the outcome of the never-ending soap opera: Erling Haaland. The Norwegian, now happy at Manchester City, has never lost sight of the possibility of ending up playing for the Spanish side, who approached him before going to the Premier League.
And Haaland is aware that, with Mbappé at Madrid, his options are significantly reduced. Not so much because of the possibility of a transfer, because the clause that allows him to leave City to another club that is not from England is affordable, but because he assumes that for Real Madrid it will be impossible to maintain two galáctico salaries and simultaneously comply with the financial controls set by both LaLiga and UEFA.
When does Haaland’s contract with City end?
That is the question that time and again has been asked by the Norwegian’s entourage when the possibility of signing for Madrid has been raised. “Can Los Blancos pay Mbappé and Erling’s salary at the same time?”. The Norwegian is aware that Mbappé's signing is being considered before his.
Haaland can, in fact, leave City this summer by activating the clause that frees him. However, things aren’t so simple: he has only been in the Premier League for two seasons, the team is winning everything and he is the protagonist, so it still seems early for him to change of scenery. Also, and despite it not being a clause written into his contract, the striker links his future to that of Pep Guardiola.
AS understands from sources familiar with the Norwegian’s situation, Manchester City have already moved to try to renew the striker’s current deal, which runs until 2027. “We are in love with Haaland and we want him to stay for 10 years,” Guardiola recently let slip at a press conference, although he also admitted he was unaware of the status of the negotiations.
Will Erling Haaland sign a new contract with Manchester City?
AS can also confirm that any such approach to agree a new deal has merely been the first tentative steps: the Manchester club have expressed a desire to sit down and talk and it is clear that a renewal would entail a pay rise, but the player does not yet feel he is at that stage. Moreover, Haaland’s entourage prefer to wait to see what finally happens between Real Madrid and Mbappé. Similarly, if the Frenchman ends up signing for Madrid this summer, Haaland understands that it makes more sense to talk about a renewal with City.
The negotiating skills of Rafaela Pimienta, Haaland’s agent, are well known throughout the soccer world. It was she who drew up a very advantageous contract for the player when he signed for City. In it, there is a clause that allows the player to leave from the summer of 2024 for an amount of money that is affordable for non-Premier clubs.
Moreover, the figure on Haaland’s price tag decreases as the years go by. If Haaland were to renew, it is certain that Pimienta, as is her modus operandi, would continue to leave a door open to exit to Haaland, although, the opening of that door (for Real Madrid) would be delayed for another year.
Real Madrid retain interest in Haaland deal
Real Madrid (and Bellingham) have never lost sight of the possibility of signing Haaland. Already in the time of Mino Raiola, the 14-time European champions seemed to have the operation drawn out, but finally the super-agent preferred a move to City, where he understood that Haaland would be able to develop better as a player.
It was back in 2022 when City snatched the jewel up for a seriously low price. The club paid Borussia Dortmund the €60 million ($64m) of the clause that then allowed him to leave the Bundesliga and another €40 million ($43m) in commissions and signing bonuses. According to the English press, with €25 million ($27m) net per season, Haaland became City’s second highest-paid player behind De Bruyne. Also, as AS understands, the Norwegian has 100% control over his image rights.
Madrid’s first approach to the Norwegian was also around the same time, after Mbappé gave Madrid the cold shoulder. Once it became obvious he was headed to England, someone in the higher echelons of Real Madrid made a call to make sure what the real conditions of that release clause were, the one that allows Haaland to leave City from 2024.
In the same way, from a Real Madrid perspective, the interest in a future operation was transferred to his entourage if it ever became convenient for both parties. Now, from the Norwegian’s side, the outcome of the Mbappé soap opera is undergoing some tension. The door at Real Madrid is open, and Haaland, just as Mbappé, knows it.