Manchester City’s hopes of keeping Erling Haaland have reportedly been boosted by Real Madrid’s pursuit of Kylian Mbappe.
According to The Mirror, Manchester City’s plans to sign star striker Erling Haaland to a new deal have been boosted by Real Madrid’s focus on securing the signature of rival Kylian Mbappe.
The Norwegian joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in July 2022 and has taken the Premier League by storm in his first season, netting 52 goals in 53 appearances.
His form has carried on to the new season, as he has already scored 21 goals and bagged six assists in 27 appearances in all competitions for the Citizens this term.
There have recently been rumours that the 23-year-old is unsettled in Manchester, which has led to speculation over his future again. Real Madrid has been the club that has been linked with the striker the most, with president Florentino Perez keeping a close eye on his goal-scoring exploits since his Borussia Dortmund days.
Madrid actually made an attempt to sign the Norwegian international when he left Dortmund a year and a-half ago, but Karim Benzema’s presence at the Bernabeu at the time made him opt for a move to City, who triggered his then £51 million buy-out clause.
Man City trying to fend off Real Madrid interest by handing a pay hike to Haaland
The reigning Premier League champions are trying to tie Norwegian goal-machine Erling Haaland down to a bumper new deal that will keep him at Etihad Stadium until 2029 in order to stave off the threat of him joining Real Madrid in the near future.
The Citizens also want to renegotiate a buyout clause of £171 million that will become active this summer. Haaland’s release fee will then reportedly drop to £150 million for foreign clubs next year, and it has been claimed that Los Blancos will make a push to sign the forward then, as a deal for him in the same summer as Mbappe is financially unviable.
However, as per the Mirror, La Liga giants’ preference for the signing of Mbappe will give City chiefs a free rein to secure Haaland’s long-term future at the club.
Neither Mbappe nor Haaland like the idea of playing together in the same lineup. The two superstars view each other as rivals for the Ballon d’Or and think their prospects of being seen as the best player in the world will suffer in such a scenario.
Haaland currently nets £375,000 per week in Manchester, but has a package of bonuses that add considerably to that sum. He profited handsomely last season, scoring 52 goals to help City win the treble.
City are prepared to increase Haaland’s basic salary but do not want to break their pay structure, which rewards players for performance. It’s also added that Haaland wants to know about Pep Guardiola’s future plans before making a decision about his future, as the Catalan boss’ contract will have just 12 months left on it in the summer.