Erling Haaland chooses between Real Madrid, Barcelona as Man City exit ignites – report

Erling Haaland is already pushing to leave Manchester City in the 2027 summer transfer window and has decided his next destination out of Real Madrid or Barcelona, a report has shockingly claimed.

Haaland continues to score goals at a devastating rate, having hit five in the same amount of appearances for City so far this term. The lethal centre-forward has long been a dream target for both Madrid and Barca due to his standing as one of the world’s very best forwards.

Indeed, City beat Madrid to the £51.5million signing of Haaland in June 2022, yet Los Blancos president Florentino Perez still dreams of partnering the 26-year-old with fellow world-class striker Kylian Mbappe.

A switch to the Bernabeu would see Haaland reunite with his former Borussia Dortmund teammate and good friend Jude Bellingham, while also linking up with Vinicius Junior and Yan Diomande.

Barca, meanwhile, view Haaland as an incredible successor for Robert Lewandowski up front. Hansi Flick’s side publicly chased Julian Alvarez over the summer, but Haaland would be an even better signing.

City are confident they will keep Haaland for several more years, having incredibly tied him down to a contract lasting until June 2034, though that has not stopped the Catalan press from claiming a blockbuster transfer is on.

Barcelona-based source El Nacional sensationally report that the goalscorer ‘intends to leave Manchester City’ as he is ‘unhappy with the project at the Etihad Stadium’ and ‘very disappointed with the moves made’ by club chiefs.

Haaland is allegedly ‘disappointed’ with the hiring of Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola’s successor.

However, it is hard to see that actually being the case, given the fact Maresca was previously Guardiola’s assistant at City and is seen as a natural fit to continue the tactician’s superb work.

The report adds that members of Haaland’s entourage have met with Barca officials in London and Paris recently.

Haaland has ‘ruled out’ a move to Madrid due to their signing of Mbappe, as he wants to create his own legacy. He is ‘much more in favour’ of joining Barca, seemingly putting Flick’s side in pole position to complete a remarkable transfer.

Erling Haaland to Barcelona looks unlikely

Barca did manage to bring in Gabriel Jesus in the summer, but they are still searching for an elite No 9 to properly replace Lewandowski.

They would quickly switch their focus from Alvarez to Haaland if the latter started to push for a major transfer.

However, other sources have yet to confirm whether any of El Nacional’s ambitious claims are actually true. Given the nature of the source, it is no surprise they are tipping Barca to win the race for Haaland.

Plus, Barca will struggle to pay the fee required to sign Haaland. Thanks to that long-term contract, City can demand a colossal fee to sell, likely higher than the world transfer record.

That is currently the €222m (£200m) Paris Saint-Germain paid Barca for Neymar in August 2017.

Meanwhile, we can confirm City and Liverpool have been offered a Madrid hero.