
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has declared that the club 'feels like home' after a new 9.5-year deal that would keep him at the club until 2034. The deal is believed to make him the highest-paid player in European football, but his long-term future is not entirely settled depending on who you speak to.
One of the reasons this is so surprising is Manchester City's legal battle with the Premier League over financial rule violations, which could bring unprecedented penalties.
“I am confident that the club knows what it is doing. Ultimately, I don't think I need to talk about this much because I have been here for two and a half years, so I have confidence that the club knows what they are doing,” said Haaland. The Telegraph.
One of the many surprising aspects of the deal is that it appears to drastically reduce his chances of playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona, an ambition previously expressed by his father Alf-Inge Haaland.
“Those are his words, not mine. I think when I signed for City I felt like it was my home. I really meant it. I feel so happy, my family is so happy. That's ultimately what I wanted.”
However, not everyone is convinced that Haaland will spend the rest of his career at City, especially knowing his agent Rafaela Pimienta, who is not one to reduce her client's options. Cadena SER says sources with knowledge of the negotiations believe there are escape clauses for Haaland if City are relegated to the second tier, or if they have to go two years without Champions League football for non-sporting reasons.
They also believe that an exit route will be available for the Norwegian in the third year of the deal. Despite Haaland's apparent commitment, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on his situation as a future option.
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