Man City Dismiss Haaland Exit Claims, Warn Real Madrid Over Transfer Speculation

Manchester City have firmly rejected claims that striker Erling Haaland could leave the club for Real Madrid this summer, insisting there is no release clause in the Norwegian’s contract that would facilitate such a move.

The Premier League champions issued the clarification after comments made by Enrique Riquelme, one of the candidates contesting Real Madrid’s presidential election. Riquelme had publicly pledged to bring both Haaland and Spanish midfielder Rodri to the Santiago Bernabéu should he emerge victorious in the election.

In his remarks, Riquelme suggested that Haaland’s contract contained a clause that would allow Madrid to negotiate a transfer. However, City have moved swiftly to deny the claim.

In a strongly worded statement, the club described reports emanating from Spain regarding Haaland’s future as “false” and insisted there was “no chance” of such a transfer taking place under the current contractual arrangements.

“There is no contractual clause that would enable this to happen,” the statement read.

Manchester City also expressed concern over the use of Haaland’s image in political campaigning connected to Real Madrid’s presidential race, revealing that they are considering legal action.

“We are considering legal action for the use of our player’s image in this context,” the club added.

Haaland remains a key figure in Pep Guardiola’s squad and has continued to be linked with Europe’s elite clubs following his prolific goalscoring exploits in England.

The 25-year-old, who has won multiple major honours since joining City, remains under contract at the Etihad Stadium, with the club determined to keep hold of one of world football’s most sought-after forwards.