Erling Haaland sets new Man City exit date as report reveals striker never intended to fulfil contract

Manchester City might be able to keep Erling Haaland for one more season than the striker was initially planning, according to the latest update.

Haaland joined Man City from Borussia Dortmund last summer and has unsurprisingly been outstanding. A Premier League winner’s medal and golden boot will be representative of his talent.

However, the champions have been dealing with fears about losing Haaland in the background. Illustrious suitors like Real Madrid will always be keeping tabs on his availability.

There have been some claims about a release clause in Haaland’s contract, active from 2024, although some sources have updated that it will not be valid anymore. Even so, the prospect of losing Haaland is something City will have to be wary of.

According to Football Insider, though, they have now learned that the 22-year-old is ready to commit to them for longer than he originally imagined.

Per the report, Haaland never intended to fulfil the contract he signed until 2027 when joining the club. His plan was to spend three of those years (i.e. until 2025) enhancing his reputation at the Etihad Stadium before progressing elsewhere.

Now, though, the Norway international is planning to spend four seasons with City (i.e. three more after this one), where he would thus be staying until 2026.

And he could earn an even better package than he currently takes home in the process. According to the report, City want to reward Haaland with a ‘record-breaking’ contract, which he could sign within six months.

Real Madrid remain option for Erling Haaland

Once again, though, it doesn’t seem like he will ever reach the end of it. Real Madrid will be lurking while they search for a successor to Karim Benzema.

Benzema will be off contract at the end of the season, but even at the age of 35, is one of the best players in the world. Indeed, he is the reigning holder of the Ballon d’Or.

Haaland would be an ideal striker to take over from Benzema when the time comes. If he wants to stay at City until 2026, though, Madrid might have to sign someone else in the meantime.

At the start of the 2026-27 season, Haaland will be 26 years old, ready for the prime of his career – if he isn’t in it already. The prospect of him playing for Madrid by then would be frightening.

But three more seasons of the former Dortmund superstar would be excellent news for City, for whom he has already scored more than 50 goals.

Should he continue to score at such an extraordinary rate, his market value could potentially be of an unprecedented level when the time comes for City to cash in.

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