'Really, really risky' - Man City warned about 'biggest danger' of Erling Haaland's record-breaking new contract

Earlier this month, Haaland signed a record-breaking ten-year contract extension at City that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2034. The prolific Norwegian striker will see a substantial rise in his wages after committing his long-term future to City, reportedly earning £500,000-a-week as per the terms of his new deal.

The Cityzens will be relieved that Haaland is set to spend the best years of his career at Etihad Stadium, however, football finance expert Dr. Rob Wilson, who is also a professor of economics at Sheffield Hallam University, has pointed out the risks of offering a player such a colossal contract extension.

Speaking to Slingo, Dr. Wilson said: "There is an incredible amount of risk associated with giving players contracts that exceed four or five years. What happens if Erling Haaland breaks his leg in three or four years and his career is over? He could just sit trying to do his rehab, getting paid, and that then presents huge problems for the club around the PSR compliance and all the rest of it.

"I think it's a really risky, really, really risky philosophy. The biggest danger actually, not just the single player and the issues with them, it's what it says to the rest of the squad. You tend to see it lower down where a club might have a wage cap and then they bring a player in on a free transfer and the wage cap gets blown.

"Then all the other players don't want an increase in their wages so they benchmark against that player. If I was a player and I had an agent and I saw Erling Haaland getting a nine-and-a-half-year deal on half a million quid a week plus bonuses and I'm on 200, all of a sudden I'm saying actually no, I want 350, 400."

Pep Guardiola's side will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Club Brugge in a must-win Champions League clash at their home, with Haaland likely to lead the line for the Premier League champions once again.