Finally, Erling Haaland’s ‘transfer’ to Real Madrid gets a boost

Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland arrived the Etihad this summer from Borussia Dortmund in a five-year deal.

The transfer has seen Manchester City pay £51m for the 21-year-old’s release clause and they have gone ahead to pay £85.5m in total with the agent fees, signing bonus and other costs taken into account.

Haaland meanwhile, has made an explosive start to life at the Etihad scoring 20 goals in 13 games as the Norway international has sufficiently marched his mammoth £865,000-per-week wage with his exploits on the pitch.

The former Molde star has since shattered records and set new ones in the English Premier League when he became the fastest player to score two and three hattricks and also the fattest player to score 15 goals in the EPL.

Amazingly, his latest hattrick in the Manchester derby against United had seen opposition fans jokingly set up a petition to ban him “because it’s just not fair”

Meanwhile, Real Madrid who have not hidden their admiration for Haaland can now possibly bring the 21-year-old to Bernabeau considering the revelation of his £175million release clause which only applies to teams outside of the Premier League.

National Daily has just gathered from the claim by The Athletic that Haaland’s five-year deal includes a release clause, one which will alert Europe’s giants like Real Madrid but also make it impossible for the Norwegian to move to a Premier League rival

And it becomes more interesting for Real as the Norwegian goal monster will be 27 years old and should be in the prime of his career at the time of a possible opportunity to trigger his release clause.

The Athletic report that there’s a strong feeling that Spanish clubs like Real Madrid especially will come knocking on Man City’s door in 2024 – given that their top striker Karim Benzema is in his 30 and same goes for their El Clasico rivals Barcelona.

By the summer of 2024, Real Madrid star Karim Benzema will be 36, while Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski will be turning the same age shortly before the 2024-2025 season gets underway.

So it would make the perfect timing for the clubs to look to the future and bring in what appears to be one of football’s next true superstar players following the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi era.

There would though be additional bonuses and agent fees to pay, which are expected to be on the same level as what City had to pay this summer.

While City paid Dortmund £51m, the whole deal including agent fees and bonuses is said to be around the £85m figure.

It comes despite Guardiola denying last week that Haaland had a release clause.

‘It’s not true,’ the City boss said. ‘He has not got a release clause for Real Madrid or any other team.

‘The rumours and people talking, we cannot control it. I always worry about what we can control.

‘What’s important is he has adapted really well, we have the feeling he is happy here. We will try with him and all of them who want to stay to make them happy.

‘In the future, nobody knows, but he is happy, he has settled perfectly, he is incredibly loved and this is the most important thing.’