Alan Shearer is convinced Erling Haaland will not see out his nine-and-a-half-year contract with Manchester City. He claims there is “no chance” he will still be playing at the Etihad at 34.
The clinical striker stunned the football world last week after suddenly signing a nine-and-a-half-year contract extension that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2034. the time his contract expires. But Newcastle United icon Shearer is fully convinced the Norway international will still leave the club before his contract expires.
Now in his third season at City, there are constant rumors of a future move to Real Madrid, dating back to his time at Borussia Dortmund. And despite his lengthy new contract and the lack of a release clause until 2029 (which will be worth £250m), Shearer believes this remains a possibility.
Speaking about Haaland's future on The Rest is Football podcast, alongside co-hosts Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, the Premier League's top scorer in history – whose record Haaland is chasing – gave his thoughts on the future of the attacker. “Besides, there is absolutely no chance of him staying at Manchester City for nine and a half years,” the 54-year-old said. “Oh, seriously, you think? I mean, do you think he will?'
Richards mentioned Madrid as a possible destination, but added that the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo mean the Spanish giants do not necessarily need Haaland's services.
Shearer then added: “But in nine and a half years he'll be 34 years old. I don't see him being there, I'm not saying he won't break the record. I'm I'm pretty sure he will do, and he probably will in five or six years. But he won't be there for nine and a half years.
“I think for him as well as for Man City… [it’s] financially more beneficial [for Haaland]he gets more money – and for City they can protect their assets because if his contract clearly doesn't expire and whoever wanted to buy him in however many years, they would have to pay a ******** in tax for him.
“So it works for both of them, but I don't see him being there in nine and a half years. In reality, (Mo) Salah could have the record, or (Harry) Kane could have the record before he gets the record. ” that record itself.”
Haaland's new deal comes just two months after City boss Pep Guardiola signed his own two-year extension. Although the Spaniard admitted that the club will find it difficult to sign strikers due to the presence of the striker in the team.
“The bigger strikers will not be a replacement for Erling, so we need to find them young to accept the role,” he told The Independent. “Or it's other players, like Oscar [Bobb], [James] McAtee, Phil [Foden]and maybe without Erling we play in a different way, with a false nine, with alternatives, with more runners from outside, more runners for the channels inside. We will find solutions.
'We couldn't go and sign [Kylian] Mbappé, for example, as a top player because we normally play with only one striker. But of course we have alternatives in case Erling cannot play all the minutes. We have other options.”
Despite Guardiola's claim, Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmoush is closing in on a £68m move to the Etihad. He will follow the arrivals of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January.
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