Erling Haaland is “1000 per cent” committed to Manchester City, claims his agent, with Rafaela Pimenta reiterating her €1 billion transfer claim.
♦ Prolific forward tied to contract until 2027
♦ Has seen a move to Madrid speculated on
♦ Representative continues to talk up value
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 23-year-old striker is tied to a long-term contract through to 2027. He has already won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his time with City – claiming two Golden Boots along the way.
WHAT PIMENTA SAID
There has been talk of Haaland leaving to become another ‘Galactico’ at Real Madrid, with his contract said to include various release clauses, but his representative has told Flashscore when asked if he could become a “one-club man” for the rest of his career: “I don’t know, but I think the Erling Haaland project is one that will last over time, over the next few years. It will also depend on trends in football. In any case, one thing is certain today: Erling Haaland feels at home at Manchester City! He is 1000 per cent committed to the City project and is already looking forward to the new season with the club.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Pimenta has previously stated that Haaland could be worth €1 billion (£847m/$1bn) when everything that he brings to the table is taken into account, with the Brazilian – who also represents World Cup winner Paul Pogba – saying when asked about those claims again: “When I said that this amount corresponded to ‘his value’, I wasn’t talking about his ‘transfer value’. I was referring to the value of a top player at that age, with enormous room for improvement – and when I said that, he hadn’t even done the treble – a player who finished as top scorer in the Premier League despite being injured for two months… He’s a player with great potential. What do I see when I make this estimate? I see all the financial considerations that revolve around him, even though he’s a serious player who works hard, is organised, focused and never gets lost. He’s been at Manchester City for two years now and there’s never been any gossip about him… His profile represents a huge value in the eyes of sponsors and clubs, as well as in terms of shirt sales and media exposure. And all that, put together: ticket sales, TV rights, everything Erling will earn over the course of his career, I’m convinced it will exceed a billion.”
WHAT NEXT?
City are the ones benefiting from that value for now – on and off the field – with Haaland expected to hit the ground running for them next season after enjoying a summer break without competitive football following Norway’s failure to qualify for Euro 2024.