Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were never realistically close to becoming teammates ever in their prime. But that may not be the case with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, if the latest reports are to be trusted. Real Madrid have not given up on signing Erling Haaland one day, and reportedly are still optimistic about getting the Norwegian striker.
Goal machine Haaland has been Manchester City's 'weapon X' in the attacking third ever since arriving from Borussia Dortmund for the 2022–23 season. He shattered the record for scoring the most goals in a single Premier League season that year, before achieving several other feats including the quickest player to 50 Premier League Goals, the first player to score a hat-trick in three consecutive Premier League home games, the joint-fastest player to 100 goals for a European club in Europe's top five leagues, and the quickest Player to 50 UEFA Champions League goals, among others.
How can Real Madrid sign Haaland?
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France captain Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, has not stopped scoring since his arrival at PSG. The ambitious plan to combine Haaland and Mbappé was revealed by Spanish media, who claimed Real Madrid are willing to shell out a world-record sum to get Haaland from City. However, it depends on the future of Vinícius Júnior—another proven attacker in the Los Blancos squad. Vinícius Júnior’s contract extension talks remain stalled in the Spanish capital, reportedly over **[his demand to make him the highest earner in the team](https://www.theweek.in/news/sports/2025/09/20/real-madrid-to-sell-vinicius-jr-another-failed-contract-extension-talk-squad-rotation-sending-the-wrong-message-to-the-brazilian-winger.html)**. While he later agreed to accept a lesser salary than Mbappée Real were not in agreement with his demands.
Real Madrid have Vinicius Júnior on a contract until the summer of 2027 and may ultimately decide to sell him to one of the suitors from Saudi who have long been after the Brazilian. Vinícius was unwilling to leave as he was convinced that leaving Europe would diminish his chances of claiming the Ballon d’Or. However, Real Madrid may decide to sell him to a Saudi club for an amount of €250 million, which would equip them to go after Haaland.
Will City sell Haaland?
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25-year-old Haaland is under contract with City until 2034, but he had in the past made it clear that he may in the future look for new challenges. While Pep Guardiola's team will not let go of Haaland, Madrid, with their hefty purse from the Vinícius transfer money, stand a chance if he pushes for an exit from the Etihad, Caught Offside said in a report. While Haaland is currently focused on City, it remains to be seen if he will withstand the temptation to join Real Madrid when they come knocking, the report added. His base salary is reportedly £500,000 per week, making him the highest-paid player in the English top tier.