Erling Haaland's long-term future is still a mystery. Photo: Getty Images/Matt McNulty
La Guerra — the war — has already begun. «Ogre is coming» was the front page of the Madrid sports paper AS to take on Manchester City, who have qualified to take on Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
Ogre is Erling. Haaland and the report are the latest blatant attempt to suggest that the move of the City striker to Real Madrid is inevitable.
It was accompanied by an article to that effect claiming that Real Madrid already knew exactly what it would take to acquire Haaland and convenient timing around the summer of 2024 when Karim Benzema, just initiated by a 12-month extension, is finally expected to leave. and the number nine world-class job will need to be filled.
As always, it's much more difficult than that. There is no doubt that Haaland is very happy at City, not least because he not only scored an incredible 48 goals, but also remains in shape.
Indeed, Haaland has already played the most games in the campaign this season, and City have developed a fitness and recovery program specifically for him, which he is delighted with. Considering how obsessed Haaland is with maximizing his career and doing his best to play his best, this was a shrewd approach from a Pep Guardiola-inspired club.
Haaland is always researching the state of affairs. -artistic products and methods to make him a better player and City have staff to help him with that.
He also settled in Manchester and is content to walk the streets, shop and not be embarrassed by the attention — he finds it amusing — while the fact that the team is fighting for the treble and the individual awards that will then follow. , means that he realizes his ambitions.
Haaland also plays for Guardiola and the importance of this cannot be underestimated. While Guardiola's future was no bar to talks of Haaland moving from Borussia Dortmund to City last year at a fixed price of £51. 2 million, although this amount has been greatly increased by royalties and agent fees, it is now vital to his future.
Haaland and Guardiola have already established a close relationship. Photo: Getty Images/Matthias Hangst
And, indeed, vice versa. There have been claims that the release clause in Haaland's contract, set at either £150m or £175m depending on reports, was removed after Guardiola signed his two-year extension until 2025.
However, Telegraph Sport understands that the opposite is likely true and that the pip amount has actually been increased. Haaland is also said to be open to discussing an improved deal — his current one runs until summer 2027 — but that is considered premature.
Both City and Haaland's camp are taking it easy, although the exact details of his contract are closely guarded. Sources suggest that all reports are untrue, while the Norwegian, who has integrated well into the dressing room, where his dry sense of humor is appreciated as well as his goals, is completely relaxed.
As did Guardiola. I was curious how he would react to Haaland getting so much attention when he signed, and whether there would actually be any jealousy from the manager or the players. The reverse is also true. Guardiola has no problem answering questions about Haaland as they get everyone's attention and teammates respect the striker.
There will be more questions and more headlines in the next two weeks, not least in Preparing for a significant rematch with Real Madrid. City know this, as do Guardiola and Haaland, but he is unlikely to be upset. Far from it.
Will he end up in Madrid one day? It is entirely possible, not least because he has publicly stated that he ultimately dreams of playing in Spain. As Haaland's agent Rafaela Pimenta told Telegraph Sport in an exclusive interview last year, his career is already carefully planned out, which suggests the City is not his final destination.
“Who is Haaland? Haaland is a guy who wants more. Every day,” Pimenta explained. Is he looking for money? He doesn't care about money! He wants more to perform at the highest level and get better every day.
Rafaela Pimenta stated that Holland's career is already mapped out. Photo: Rebecca Marshall
Erling enjoys the process. He enjoys it. He is interested in everything. He is interested. He likes the learning curve. He also enjoys his mobility. It was great to be at Borussia Dortmund. It's great to be at Manchester City right now. Let's live this to the end. If you don't enjoy the process, you run the risk of getting very frustrated, and I'm trying to deal with that.»
It certainly helps that Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, a former City and Leeds United midfielder, was also a player.
«There are a lot of fantastic things about Erling, and one of them is his father,” says Pimenta. said. “Because he was there and did it. It's like when it's your first rodeo, people go «ahh» because they've never been through it. But Alfie has.
“When Alfie first came to the office and we met with (her former business partner, now deceased) Mino (Rayola), of course Alfie was already the man with the plan. And Alfie's plan was: «My plan is I need a plan and I need agents to build it.»
«So everything was very carefully prepared. Scheduled every day. I tell the players, «If you don't know where you're going when you start, you won't get there.» Maybe you won't get there anyway, but I guarantee you won't if you don't know the way.» So yes, we had a plan from the very beginning.”
It should be remembered that Haaland will not turn 23 until July. Can we expect him to spend the rest of his career at City? Logically, this seems unlikely. And if he leaves, then obviously there is little where he can go.
But it should also be remembered that, according to the Spanish media, he has already signed a contract with Real Madrid. Last year, a huge number of the front pages of AS, Marca, Sport and Mundo Deportivo confidently announced that Haaland was moving to the Spanish giants; that he was a priority; that the deed was done; that this is fate; that he will be signed with Kylian Mbappé. In the end, neither player made a move.
There is another dimension this summer when City and Real Madrid go head-to-head over the signing of Jude Bellingham if he leaves Dortmund (there is a possibility that he will remain for another year), negotiations are being carried out by the father of the England international Mark.
It will be a huge blow for Real Madrid to lose to City again. This means that the war is being fought on three fronts.
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