In the midst of continued interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester City is actively pursuing the removal of Erling Haaland’s release clause from his contract.

The forward’s father, Alf-Inge, a former City midfielder, had revealed last year that Haaland’s intention was to stay at the Etihad for a maximum of three to four years, aspiring to showcase his skills in various leagues. Additionally, Haaland’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, previously expressed Madrid as a “dreamland” for players.

A noteworthy development came from Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, who acknowledged that Haaland had unintentionally become a “dressing room burden” due to the constant transfer speculations. Earlier reports indicated that Haaland’s transfer clause wouldn’t be activated until Pep Guardiola’s contract expired in 2025.

Guardiola’s extension of his contract in November of the previous year, securing his tenure through the end of the 2024/25 season, is now intrinsically linked to Haaland’s future. A pivotal aspect of the Norwegian striker’s contract hinged on Guardiola’s renewal.

Haaland had inked a five-year deal with City in 2022, but it came with a significant caveat – a €200 million (£175.5 million) release clause set to activate before the halfway point of the contract, reportedly at the conclusion of the current season (2023/24), as reported by The Athletic. However, this scenario changed with Guardiola’s contract extension, as Catalunya Radio, detailed by Spanish outlet Marca, stated that the release clause would only become active in 2025 when Guardiola’s tenure was expected to conclude.

Now, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Manchester City is expressing concerns that this clause could be triggered and is actively pursuing its complete removal from Haaland’s contract. The club remains vigilant, knowing that Real Madrid and Barcelona maintain a keen interest in securing the Norwegian’s services in upcoming transfer windows.

Haaland, at the age of 23, made a sensational impact in his debut season with 52 goals, contributing to Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign under Guardiola’s guidance. He has continued to impress this season with eight goals to his name. However, the uncertainty surrounding his future has raised concerns, as Sebastian Kehl, his former sporting director at Dortmund, pointed out, citing the need for the timing of the transfer to be mutually beneficial for all parties involved.

Erling Haaland

This season he played in total 8 times for 710 minutes for Premier League.

Erling Haaland scored 7 goals for Manchester City. He procured one assist. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 3rd in Premier League. In the last match Manchester City lost 1-0 against Arsenal. The next match in Premier League will be against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Manchester City performance and stats

Manchester City is currently 3rd in the Premier League with 18 points.

In the last 8 games, it has won 6 times and lost twice. In its last match, Manchester City lost 1-0 against Arsenal.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 17 goals and conceding 6.​

Manchester City will play the next match in Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 21st of October in Manchester.​

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