Erling Haaland turned down Real Madrid to join Manchester City this summer, but Los Blancos aren’t giving up on the 22-year-old. Reports from Spain suggested Haaland had a clause in his contract that gave Real the option to sign him in 2024 for £156.9m, but Pep Guardiola is denying such a clause exists.
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As per the Guardian, he said: “It’s not true. He has no release clause for Real Madrid or any other team. It’s not true, what can I say? I have the feeling he is incredibly happy here and we will try to make him happy. You cannot worry about the rumours, we have to worry about what we can control.”
Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm, scoring twice as many goals (14) as the second-highest scorer – Harry Kane (7). The 22-year-old is already just one goal away from notching 20 in all competitions this season, so it’s no wonder Real are so keen to sign him.
But Mundo Deportivo said recently that City are trying to tie Haaland down to a new deal, presumably without the clause attached, so they won’t lose him in two years. Haaland already has 154 goals in 194 career games at the age of 22, so he’s already laying claim as one of Europe’s best strikers.
Time will tell if City can fend off Real’s interest to keep Haaland at the Etihad for the long-term, however, but it’s worth noting that he is a childhood supporter of City.
In other news, Man City ‘throw hat in the ring’ for £132m Borussia Dortmund star
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