Erling Haaland: Guardiola actions key as Man City strike major decision on worrying £175m exit clause

Harry Watkinson 19 Apr 2023 10:44 AM

Manchester City are set to offer Erling Haaland an extension on his £865,000 per week contract less than a year after making the switch from Borussia Dortmund.

The Norwegian goal machine cost the Cityzens just £51m after they paid his release clause last summer, and it’s fair to say that he has been worth every penny.

Upon his arrival at the Etihad, Haaland had a £175m release clause inserted into his contract that could be activated in 2024, but only by teams outside of the Premier League.

Now, according to the Athletic, that clause has been removed, with City ready to offer their star striker a new contract.

The report adds that the clause was linked to Pep Guardiola’s future at City, and was removed after the Spaniard signed his own new contract extension in November, keeping him at City until November 2025.

With Haaland already scoring a mind-boggling 47 goals in all competitions this season, it’s thought that Guardiola was determined to see Haaland also commit his future to the Manchester club and sign a new deal.

Haaland to agree fresh Man City deal

As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Real Madrid are thought to be big admirers of Haaland – with the striker keen to play at the Bernabeu at some point in the future.

However, at the moment, Haaland is very happy at Man City, and there is a belief within the club that he is willing to agree to improved terms on his current deal that runs until 2027.

This is a positive step for Guardiola’s team, as while his 2024 release clause has been removed, it remains unclear whether any other clauses could kick in further down the line.

Haaland’s current base salary is £375,000 per week, which already makes him the third highest-earner in the Premier League.

However, his deal also includes a number of relatively straightforward bonuses which take his wage up to £865,000 per week.

Given the amount of goals he’s scored this season, it’s fair to say that he will have been earning that most of the time.

Indeed, the towering centre-forward has netted 32 times in 28 league appearances this term – nine goals clear of Tottenham captain and Manchester United target Harry Kane.

Haaland has also scored 11 goals in the Champions League, including one in the quarter-final against his old enemy Bayern Munich last week, with City holding a 3-0 advantage as they prepare for the second leg on Wednesday.

If the 22-year-old can continue his current scoring form, Guardiola’s team could potentially clinch a historic treble this season, with City currently the favourites to lift win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Manchester City Erling Haaland