Manchester City have released a strong statement after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme claimed that he will sign Erling Haaland this summer if he's elected.
Riquelme is going head-to-head with long-serving president Florentino Perez, and has made some outrageous promises if he is to win that battle this Sunday. Not only has he told fans that Haaland will be coming to the Bernabeu, but his Man City teammate Rodri, too.
Perez hasn't been contested in his role since all the way back in 2004, but his opponent is pulling out all the stops to try and win the election. Riquelme has even stated that Jose Mourinho won't be his manager, as he has another candidate in mind.
Manchester City Respond to Erling Haaland Claim
Manchester City's Erling Haaland looks on against Nottingham Forest
With Pep Guardiola now gone, speculation around Man City's star players has ramped up in recent weeks. Riquelme claimed that a release clause was active in Haaland's contract, and that the player 'wants to join Real Madrid'.
"Haaland has a release clause and wants to join Real Madrid," he told a Spanish TV channel. However, that claim has been refuted by the Etihad-based club, who now appear to be considering their options legally. A club statement read:
"The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are FALSE.
"There is NO chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering LEGAL ACTION for the use of our player image in this context."
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The Citizens' complaint appears to come from the fact that the host of the show, Pablo Matos, displayed a Real Madrid shirt with the Norwegian's name on the back of it. They have opted to take a strong stance in response.
Haaland's Father Speaks Out on Real Madrid Links
Alf-Inge Haaland
Alf-Inge Haaland
Fabrizio Romano posted a statement from both Haaland's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, and his father. Alf-Inge Haaland said: "All very entertaining but NOT true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections."
It appears extremely unlikely that the Premier League Golden Boot winner will be going anywhere soon. The likes of Bernardo Silva and John Stones have already left Man City along with Guardiola. Haaland will be one of the leaders in the dressing room, looking to put an end to a two-year title drought.
He'd also face stiff competition in Madrid from Kylian Mbappe. Working out a way to play both forwards and Vinicius Junior would be an extremely difficult task. But by City's account, one we won't be seeing anytime soon.