Messi has caused £375,000-a-week Manchester City player to consider exit

Redaction Simon Brett with Billy Meyers
Published on 2024-01-31 18:30:00

Spanish press have recently claimed that Lionel Messi’s victory in the Ballon d’Or has prompted Erling Haaland to consider his departure from Manchester City. Diario AS is behind this assertion, suggesting that Messi’s victory has somehow influenced Haaland’s decision. According to Diario AS, Haaland and his representatives began considering a move to Real Madrid after Messi won the Ballon d’Or. They felt that a switch to Real Madrid would increase Haaland’s visibility. The Norweigan and his family believed that he would have won the Ballon d’Or if he had accomplished the same achievements with Real Madrid. It is noteworthy to mention that Haaland netted an impressive 52 goals in 53 appearances during the 2022/23 season, helping Manchester City secure the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League titles. However, Messi’s triumph with Argentina in the FIFA World Cup is believed to have swayed the votes in his favor.

Notably, Alfie Haaland, Erling’s father, has stated that the Ballon d’Or decision was fair and came down to a voting process. However, the story from Diario AS is being viewed skeptically by Manchester City fans. Despite Messi’s unparalleled popularity and exceptional World Cup performance in 2022, the claim that Haaland would have won the Ballon d’Or had he been at Real Madrid has been met with skepticism. Manchester City supporters believe that this development is merely an attempt by the Spanish press to fabricate a story linking Haaland with a move to Real Madrid. Previously, reports from Madrid suggested that the skilled striker would join Real Madrid if he was able to, adding to the belief that this is more speculation than grounded news.

Read Original article on Manchester City News