Haaland views Real Madrid as dream club but City and his camp deny any move

Erling Haaland privately views Real Madrid as his dream club, according to reports, yet Manchester City, his father, and his agent have all moved to shut down the latest wave of transfer speculation surrounding the Norwegian striker.

Haaland, valued at £170m by Transfermarkt, has been one of the most prolific forwards in Premier League history since joining City for £51m, scoring 162 goals and contributing 30 assists in 198 appearances — a rate of roughly one goal every 85 minutes. He is contracted to the club until 2034, with lucrative financial bonuses included in the deal.

The rumours intensified after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme brandished a ‘Haaland 9’ shirt during his election campaign, claiming the striker holds a release clause and would join Madrid if Riquelme took charge. “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid,” Riquelme said. “If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.”

That claim was swiftly rebutted. Haaland’s father Alf-Inge and his agent Rafaela Pimenta issued a joint statement saying: “All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.” City went further, warning of potential legal action. 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 subsequently lost the election, with Florentino Perez retaining the presidency for the 17th year in a row — 23 years in total. Perez has indicated Madrid will make a major signing this summer worth around £130m, but explicitly ruled out Haaland as the target. “He needs to be a player from midfield who can go forward. And it’s not Haaland,” Perez said, adding that the player in question is not from the Premier League.

Borussia Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke, who knows Haaland well from the striker’s time in the Bundesliga, acknowledged that a move to Madrid could materialise eventually — but suggested City will hold on to him for at least a couple more seasons, according to comments he made to Marca.