Erling Haaland considering extension with Manchester City, will leave Real Madrid exit door open

Erling Haaland’s name continues to be linked with Real Madrid, in spite of the apparent arrival of Kylian Mbappe this summer. However the Frenchman’s present could impact on the plans of the Manchester City forward.

As per Diario AS, Haaland had planned to join Los Blancos in 2025, after three years working under Pep Guardiola. However there are doubts in the Haaland camp about whether Real Madrid can afford the salaries of both Haaland and Mbappe without incurring financial fair play penalties.

That said, the Norwegian forward still has Real Madrid in his mind for the down the line. Agent Rafaela Pimenta is willing to talk over a new deal with Manchester City, in order to extend his current one beyond 2025, but will maintain a release clause that Real Madrid can afford. That said, his release clause could increase with a new contract. Pimenta and Haaland want to keep his future in their hands to a degree, in case they want to leave City.

Thus far Haaland’s future has been linked to that of Guardiola, and if the Catalan does not extend his deal (currently running until 2025), then that could change matters for Haaland. Equally if City are punished harshly for their alleged breaches of Premier League rules, he may need to find a way out.

Real Madrid are in a relatively healthy position financially, and it could well be within their means to pay both Mbappe and Haaland, but in addition to pay, it would likely require sales in order to put together a large transfer fee. Los Blancos have come out of the pandemic in a decent position economically, but do not have a record of major sales, and if it wasn’t already, it would place further emphasis on selling some of their other attacking stars.