Haaland eyes Real Madrid move but City insist £130m exit is not happening

Manchester City have moved to shut down speculation over Erling Haaland’s future after a former Borussia Dortmund president claimed the Norwegian striker considers Real Madrid his dream destination, with the club threatening legal action over unfounded claims of a contractual exit clause.

Borussia Dortmund president Hans Joachim Watzke fuelled the rumours this week by suggesting a move to the Spanish capital aligns with Haaland’s personal ambitions — remarks that follow a string of high-profile claims from figures connected to Real Madrid’s presidential race.

Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme had gone as far as displaying a ‘Haaland 9’ jersey during his electoral campaign, insisting the forward would arrive at the club this summer. “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid,” Riquelme said. “If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.”

Those claims were swiftly dismissed by Haaland’s father Alf-Inge and agent Rafaela Pimenta in a joint statement: “All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.”

City were equally unequivocal. A club spokesperson said: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

Riquelme ultimately lost the election, with Florentino Perez retaining the Real Madrid presidency for the 17th consecutive year. Perez himself has since indicated that a major transfer — worth at least €150m — is planned for this summer, but explicitly ruled out Haaland as the target. “The player is not from the Premier League,” Perez said, describing the signing as one designed to “generate excitement.”

Haaland has been one of the most productive forwards in Premier League history since joining City from Dortmund for £51m in 2022. He has scored 162 goals and contributed 30 assists across 198 appearances, averaging a goal every 85 minutes. Transfermarkt currently values him at £170m.

Despite the noise from Spain, no formal approach has been made for the 24-year-old, and City’s position remains unchanged: Haaland is not for sale.