Hands off Real Madrid! Man City to open talks with Erling Haaland over new contract

The Spanish heavyweights have been linked with the prolific Norwegian striker for some time. They were unable to put an agreement in place with Borussia Dortmund during previous windows and saw Haaland head to England as part of a £51 million ($62m) package in the summer of 2022.

The 23-year-old was a revelation at the Etihad Stadium during his debut campaign, hitting 52 goals across all competitions as he inspired City to a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble. Haaland still has a little under four years left to run on the deal he signed when making his way to Manchester.

The Daily Mail reports that City are eager to extend those terms by at least another 12 months. It is expected that further talks will take place regarding release clauses within that contract – with two having been included in his initial agreement, with one of those relating to the future of Pep Guardiola as manager.

City will hope to reach a compromise soon, with Real left watching on from afar. They would like to take Haaland to Santiago Bernabeu and put him in a star-studded attacking unit that could also include Kylian Mbappe – with the French World Cup winner expected to head for Spain in 2024 when reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.