Erling Haaland sends ‘clear message’ to Man City as he ‘sets condition for staying next season’
Man City striker Erling Haaland has set a condition for staying at the Etihad Stadium beyond the end of the season, according to reports.
The Citizens had a poor season by their standards in the 2024/25 campaign with Man City recovering late on to finish third and qualify for the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s side finished 13 points adrift of champions Liverpool after winning the Premier League title in the previous four seasons.
An injury to Rodri in September was one of the main reasons for their drop off, while Haaland did not quite reach the heights of his first couple of seasons at Man City, although he still managed 22 Premier League goals.
Man City brought in Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Juma Bah, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez in the January transfer window to help Guardiola finish the campaign strongly.
And they brought in seven signings over the summer with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, James Trafford, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sverre Nypan and Marcus Bettinelli all joining.
READ: Liverpool ‘flop’ Florian Wirtz among Big Six sextet needing to step up after the international break
Haaland has been consistently linked with a move away from Man City over the last couple of seasons with La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona interested.
However, the Norwegian briefly ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract but there were almost immediately rumours that his new deal included two break clauses, one if Man City were relegated and another if they failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Things have not been going to plan this season with the Citizens starting the new campaign by winning one and losing two Premier League matches.
And now there are fresh reports in Spain that Haaland has ‘set a condition for staying’ next season despite renewing his contract until 2034 earlier this year.
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Haaland, who has scored three goals in three Premier League matches, ‘isn’t willing to repeat a blank season’ at the Etihad Stadium with the Norway international knowing ‘his sporting prime coincides with the upcoming seasons, hence his urgency to be in a highly demanding competitive environment’.
The report adds: ‘The message is clear: continuity in Manchester depends directly on titles. The Premier League and Champions League are non-negotiable goals to keep the Norwegian satisfied. Any stumble on those targets would immediately open the door to negotiations with other European giants, aware that Haaland remains the most coveted striker on the continent.’
Haaland’s departure ‘would mean not only a footballing loss, but also a blow to the image of a team that has invested in establishing itself as a world leader’.
