Haaland to Real Madrid: Manchester City threatens legal action against presidential candidate

Manchester City announced it is considering legal action against Enrique Riquelme, a candidate for Real Madrid’s presidency, after he publicly promised to sign Erling Haaland in the event of victory in the Spanish club’s presidential election.

Riquelme, a 37-year-old businessman, revealed on television a Real Madrid shirt bearing Haaland’s name, stating: “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.” His comments were quickly denied by the player’s entourage. The Norwegian striker, his father and his agent responded via Spanish television show El Chiringuito: “Very entertaining… but it’s not true. We wish the best to both candidacies.”

According to the BBC, Manchester City reacted firmly to this instrumentalisation of their star player. “The rumours that have emerged from Spain concerning Erling Haaland’s future are false,” the club reportedly stated. “We are considering taking legal action for the use of one of our players in this context.” Haaland is tied to City until 2034.

Haaland is not Riquelme’s only campaign promise. The candidate also claims he can attract Rodri, also under contract at Manchester City, during the summer 2026 transfer window. These successive statements about players from the same club partly explain the strong reaction from Manchester City’s executives.

Real Madrid’s presidential election is itself a rare event: for the first time in twenty years, Florentino Perez faces a declared opponent. The two candidates also disagree on the choice of the future head coach of the Maison Blanche — Perez is leaning towards a return of José Mourinho, while Riquelme is betting on Jürgen Klopp — in a context where the Madrid club is coming out of a season widely regarded as a complete failure.