Haaland eyeing La Liga move as Manchester City's Premier League sanctions loom

Erling Haaland has identified La Liga as the next step in his career, with Real Madrid and Barcelona placed on alert over a potential future transfer, according to Spanish transfer journalist Matteo Moretto.

Haaland is under contract at Manchester City until 2034 following a blockbuster extension signed early last year, but Moretto — speaking during MARCA’s ‘Los 100’ special — stated that the Norwegian striker views Spanish football as his preferred destination when his time in the Premier League ends. No date for a departure has been set, and Haaland has not yet chosen between the two Clásico rivals.

The picture is complicated significantly by Manchester City’s ongoing legal situation. The club were found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules and are awaiting the outcome of their appeal, as well as confirmation of any punishment. Potential sanctions include fines, points deductions, and other sporting measures that could materially affect City’s standing in the Premier League.

Should those sanctions prove severe enough to threaten City’s top-flight status for multiple seasons, players across the squad — Haaland included — would almost certainly reassess their futures. Any departure would still hinge on the financial terms City demand, given the scale of their investment in the striker.

Haaland has been one of the most prolific forwards in Premier League history since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. He has scored 121 goals in 140 Premier League appearances and was central to the club’s back-to-back league titles and their 2022-23 Champions League triumph, which earned him second place in that year’s Ballon d’Or voting behind Lionel Messi.

Whether a move to Spain materialises as a consequence of City’s sanctions or as a natural next chapter later in his career, both Real Madrid and Barcelona will be watching developments at the Etihad closely.