Manchester City are increasingly confident Erling Haaland will sign a new bumper deal.
Talks are on-going with the prolific Norwegian striker, 24, over a vastly-improved contract extension – worth a whopping £500,000 per week. That basic salary would make Haaland the highest-paid player ever in the Premier League, easily eclipsing the £400,000 pocketed by City team-mate Kevin De Bruyne.
And it would also put him among the biggest individual earners in Europe. At present, Barcelona’s Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong (£600,000) heads that mega-rich list.
During the latest negotiations in Norway with Haaland’s family and Brazilian super-agent Rafaela Pimenta, the City hierarchy received a positive response to the lucrative package.
As well the massive wage rise, there is an additional two years on the table. The former-Borussia Dortmund ace has two-and-a-half seasons to run on the £375,000-a-week deal he signed on his £60m arrival in July 2022.
The new terms would keep him at the Etihad until the end of 2028-29. One issue still needs to be resolved – Haaland’s existing £150m release clause.
City want it dropped moving forward, but Haaland’s advisors are digging their heels in, insisting it remains. A potential solution is both parties agree to increase that transfer trigger to £200m – better reflecting his rising market valuation amid constant interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain.
(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Haaland is regarded as the best goalscorer on the planet just now as he continues to re-write the record books with Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering outfit. The ex-Molde and RB Salzburg hitman, expected to spearhead Norway’s attack tomorrow against Kazakhstan in the Nations League, has blitzed an astonishing 105 goals in 113 City appearances – 75 of those coming in 77 league games.
During his time in England, he has lifted consecutive Premier League titles, along with the Treble in his debut season. And despite City’s recent struggles – they are on a four-game losing streak for the first time under Guardiola – the back-to-back Golden Boot winner is happy and settled in Manchester and intends to stay longer.