Manchester City are growing increasingly desperate to keep Erling Halaand at the club after it emerged his buy-out fee is now starting to drop.
As fears also grow that this could be Pep Guardiola’s final season at the club after a trophy-laden eight years at The Etihad, City are also anxious over Haaland’s long-term future.
The Norway striker has won successive Premier League titles since moving to Manchester in a bargain £51million deal from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 and still has three years remaining on his contract.
However, a clause in that agreement that kicks in this summer means Haaland can move to any club outside England willing to pay £175million, kicked in this summer.
And it’s reported that the buy-out fee will now drop in each of the remaining three seasons the prolific frontman has left on his deal.
Guardiola is already poised to leave when his contract runs out in 2025, while there are also rumours that director of football Txiki Begiristain could follow the Spaniard – with both achieving everything they can in Manchester.
Indeed, Begiristain has played an instrumental role in City’s success with his outstanding work in the transfer market since his arrival at The Etihad way back in 2012.
There are real fears that should Guardiola, Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, who are all close friends and business partners, leave at the same time then a City rebuild could be needed – to a certain extent.
Add a big club triggering Haaland’s exit clause into that mix and the next year could be pivotal one in the club’s fortunes.
Haaland contract a top City priority
To that end, securing Haaland’s future has also been made a top priority over the coming months.
The 23-year-old scored 52 goals in his debut season as City lifted the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
And despite being hampered by injuries during the current campaign, Haaland still managed to win the Golden Boot again with 27 goals and notched 38 times in all competitions.
When reports emerged about Real Madrid and Barcelona reigniting their interest in signing him back in March, Haaland did not exactly rule it out, saying: “You never know what the future will bring”.
However, City’s hopes of convincing Halaand to pen a lucrative extension and also potentially renegotiate his buy-out clause have been boosted by Real closing in on a free transfer swoop for Kylian Mbappe and Barxa landing Brazilian starlet Endrick.
The Norwegian also earns £400,000-a-week, which would be a major issue for Barca given their continued financial constraints.
There is no mention in the report about just how much Haaland could be offered by City in a new deal and it may be more focused on altering that buy-out clause too leave the club less vulnerable going forward.