By Flinster Austin
Published on 2024-01-19 15:19:33
According to reports, representatives of Erling Haaland have been engaging in discussions regarding a potential transfer from Manchester City to Real Madrid in the upcoming summer. The Norway international initially joined City in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund, as the club activated the €60m release clause in his contract. Since then, Haaland has been in remarkable form, scoring 71 goals in 75 matches for the Citizens and solidifying his position as one of the top strikers in global football.
At the age of 23, Haaland has accumulated a total of 226 goals in 275 matches since the commencement of his professional career at Bryne in Norway, attracting interest from several prominent clubs in Europe, particularly Real Madrid. There has been prior speculation that Haaland has desires to transfer to Real Madrid at some point in his career, and now the Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo insists that the Norwegian’s future is “directly related” to the developments regarding Kylian Mbappe’s status. Mbappe could potentially depart Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires in the summer, with Real Madrid and Liverpool rumored to be strongly linked to him.
Mundo Deportivo has further stated that Haaland is a key target for Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, as he seeks to make a significant striker signing during the summer. The report reveals that Haaland’s representatives are currently engaged in discussions with the Spanish club through intermediaries, and it is noted that the Man City striker has the option to leave the Etihad Stadium for a fee of €200m (£172m) in 2024.
It has been indicated that talks with Haaland’s team are progressing positively, and there are plans to involve Jude Bellingham, with whom Haaland shares a close relationship, as Bellingham could potentially persuade him due to his recent experience at Real Madrid. Additionally, recruitment expert Bryan King disclosed that Haaland was nearly signed by Manchester United but a mix-up caused the deal to fall through.
King described the situation, revealing that there was a timing error in making the necessary call to secure Haaland’s transfer to United, which ultimately led the player to join Salzburg instead. The delayed call by an hour ultimately cost Manchester United the opportunity to sign the talented striker.
