Erling Haaland will continue to break records in the Premier League history books as long as he keeps scoring for Manchester City
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
09:00, 10 Dec 2025
Erling Haaland will go down in the Premier League’s history books(Image: Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
Erling Haaland has secured his place as one of Manchester City’s greatest ever strikers. The Norwegian has an unbelievable goal-per-game ratio, tallying 144 strikes in 166 appearances.
The Treble-winning star has become a key player in City’s attacking line and has collected an impressive amount of silverware since his arrival in 2022. With two Premier League titles, one Champions League and a slew of domestic cups, the 25-year-old has been one of the club’s most impressive signings.
At the beginning of 2025, Haaland signed a record-breaking nine-and-a-half-year deal with the club which ties him to the Etihad Stadium until 2034.
Despite this lengthy extension, speculation continues to swirl surrounding a potential exit.
Here, Mirror Football details what has been said about Haaland’s dedication to City as they prepare to face Real Madrid tonight – a club constantly linked with the marksman.
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Hidden Man City clause
Haaland’s previous contract with City reportedly contained a hidden release clause that could only be triggered by European giants Real Madrid. Their ex-president Fernando Sanz told Spanish TV show El Chiringuito that only clubs as big as Madrid would be able to activate this secret fee.
He said: “The information I have is that there is an exit clause for Haaland in the second year, and the curious thing is that it has very beneficial conditions compared to the rest for one club, which is Real Madrid.”
This news surfaced after Haaland’s father Alf-Inge suggested his son would end up leaving City in order to prove himself across different leagues. He said: “I think Erling wants to test his abilities in all leagues, then he can stay in them for three or four years at the most.
Erling Haaland’s former contract contained a secret fee(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
“He could be, for example, two and a half years in Germany, two and a half years in England and then in Spain, Italy, France, right?”
However, according to The Athletic, this clause has now been scrapped. The 25-year-old’s latest contract, signed in January 2025, eliminated any possibility of clubs triggering a transfer through a release fee.
Real Madrid speculation
In 2022, Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta refused to dismiss transfer speculation as reports persistently linked him with Real Madrid. Despite being contracted to City until 2027 at that point, rumours persisted about Madrid launching a substantial bid for the forward.
In a 2022 interview with Marca, Pimenta made it clear that circumstances can shift rapidly. She said: “Perfectly planned career? I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s structured. What happens I can’t tell. Things can change. We have a clear idea of what we want to do.
“When his father (Alf-Inge Haaland) first arrived at the office, he looked at me and told me that the most important thing was the planning, the project. He found the right site and agency because we always have a project for all players.
The striker has been linked with a move away from City on multiple occasions(Image: Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“It’s a professional project, but we’re talking about variables that we don’t control. They’re all great, but 20 years ago we described a project with a Brazilian player and he had five serious injuries. The project couldn’t work. With Erling we had a project from the beginning and the project is working. We’re moving forward.”
Pimenta has since had a change of heart following Haaland’s blockbuster new City deal. During an interview with Meczyki, the striker’s agent said: “Do you think Erling (Haaland) will ever cut himself, even having this long term contract with City, from rumours about Real Madrid?
“It’s always Haaland and Real Madrid in the media. People like to talk and there will always be rumours. I never make any comments or never address the media.”
When probed on the fine print in Haaland’s newest deal, she added: “I never comment on contracts. Erling has all the freedom because I think when you do what you want, you know what you’re doing, you have a proper deal… you have freedom.”
Barcelona ‘dream’
Pep Guardiola is clearly planning for Haaland to stick around(Image: SPYROS BAKALIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Current boss Pep Guardiola hailed Haaland’s loyalty to the club but he admits he understands the “dreams” that Madrid and Barcelona have of tempting him away to Spain.
He said: “Tell me one club for which it wouldn’t be a dream to have Erling Haaland. I understand that it’s a dream for Barcelona to want him. If he weren’t with us, it would also be a dream for City.”
While Guardiola was firm about Haaland’s current obligations to City, he acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the transfer market. He added: “What’s going to happen? Honestly, I don’t know. He has a long contract here; I think he’s doing very well, scoring a lot of goals, always trying to improve, always creating more chances to score.
“I don’t think Erling is stupid enough to sign something he doesn’t intend to fulfill. That’s for sure. But in football, who knows what the future will bring?”
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