Manchester City dismiss Real Madrid presidential candidate's Haaland transfer claim

Manchester City have issued a sharp rebuttal after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme publicly claimed he would sign Erling Haaland if elected, with the club calling the suggestion impossible and threatening legal action over the use of their player’s image.

Riquelme made the claim during an appearance on Spanish television programme El Hormiguero, holding up a Real Madrid shirt bearing Haaland’s name and the No.9, and asserting that a release clause in the Norwegian’s contract would allow him to trigger a move to the Bernabéu. He also claimed he would bring Haaland’s City teammate Rodri to Madrid.

City moved quickly to shut down the story. In an official statement, the club said there was “no chance of this happening”, flatly denied the existence of any release clause, and confirmed they were “considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

The timing of Riquelme’s comments makes City’s position even clearer. Haaland signed a new contract at the Etihad as recently as January 2025 — a deal reported to run for ten years, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2034. That extension significantly reduces any realistic prospect of the 24-year-old departing in the near future.

Riquelme is a candidate in Real Madrid’s presidential election and does not currently hold any official position at the club, meaning his claims carry no institutional weight. City’s swift and unambiguous response signals they view the episode as a publicity stunt rather than a credible transfer approach.

Whether the club pursues legal proceedings remains to be seen, but their stance on Haaland’s future is unambiguous: he is going nowhere.