Erling Haaland signs new monster Manchester City contract as release clause decision made

Erling Haaland has signed a new monster Manchester City contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2034.

The Norwegian has put pen to paper on a nine-and-a-half year deal with the club he joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022. The deal he initially signed is set to expire at the end of the 2026/2027 season. He has now inked a bumper new deal though, which will see him remain at the Etihad Stadium until he is 34.

Haaland has emerged as one of the top strikers in Europe since his arrival. He has scored an incredible 111 goals in 126 games and lifted two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League and a Super Cup.

While it has been a more difficult campaign for both City and Haaland, the top-flight giants have moved to tie him down for the long-term. The 24-year-old has been frequently linked with a move to Real Madrid ever since his time at Dortmund.

But if the La Liga leaders still want to bring him to the Bernabeu, they will have to do it the hard way. According to The Athletic, Haaland's new deal has seen the release clause in his current contract removed.

It is claimed that while the precise numbers are currently unclear, his bumper deal is understood to be among the most lucrative sporting contracts ever. Though he has been linked with an exit, Haaland is known to be extremely happy living in Manchester, reports The Mirror.

Haaland is said to enjoy an excellent relationship with Guardiola, the coaching staff, team-mates and the club's hierarchy. It is claimed he has settled in the local area after recently moving house and becoming a parent.

The striker is delighted to have signed his new deal and has struggled to contain his excitement. He said: "I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great Club.

"Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody. I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years.

"They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what. Now I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”

City's Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: “Everyone at the Club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract. The fact he is signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player, and his love of this club.

"He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves. But in addition to his outstanding natural talent and ability, Erling’s dedication, professionalism, humility and desire to keep getting better sum up what we all strive to achieve at Manchester City.

"He is one of the finest strikers in world football, but Erling is still very young and will only continue to improve working under Pep and his coaching team. If he works hard, which I know he will, he will create an incredible legacy at this football club. Now he can focus on his game and continuing to play a huge part in helping us try to achieve even more success."

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