Real Madrid are reportedly preparing another attempt to sign City striker Erling Haaland next summer – but there remains a major disagreement over a supposed release clause in his contract.
Spanish journalist José Félix Díaz has again linked Haaland with a future move to the Bernabeu, with reports suggesting those around the Norwegian believe there is a mechanism in his contract which could make a transfer possible.
City have previously been emphatic that there isn’t. The issue blew up in June when Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme claimed Haaland had a release clause and pledged to sign him if elected.
City responded by describing reports from Spain about Haaland’s future as untrue and insisting there was “no contractual clause” which would enable him to leave. Haaland’s father Alfie and agent Rafaela Pimenta also dismissed the claims at the time, saying: “All very entertaining but not true.”
That hasn’t stopped the story resurfacing in Spain. Díaz has previously reported that Haaland retained an exit mechanism when he signed his latest City contract, despite the club’s position to the contrary.
What isn’t in dispute is the length of that deal. Haaland signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract in January 2025 which ties him to City until the summer of 2034.
Sky Sports News reported when the agreement was announced that it contained no release clauses and that those included in his previous contract had been removed.
Real Madrid have been linked with Haaland for years and those links clearly aren’t disappearing. For now, though, the key part of the latest report remains disputed by the club who actually hold his contract.
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