Haaland path to Euro giants ‘activated’ by agent as Man City face ‘severe’ relegation sanction
The agent of Man City striker Erling Haaland is making plans to move the Norwegian to Barcelona in the summer if the Citizens face a historic sanction, according to reports.
Pep Guardiola’s side, who are currently second in the Premier League after 30 matches, have had the shadow of their FFP case hanging over them with a verdict expected months ago.
An independent commission hearing to examine 115 charges laid by the Premier League against Man City started in September 2024 and ended in December 2024.
The Premier League opened an investigation into Man City way back in 2018 and after a number of legal delays, charges were finally laid in February 2023 and the club were referred to an independent commission.
The charges against the Citizens relate to the requirement to accurately report financial information, including around the value of sponsorship deals, the submission of details of manager and player pay information and to a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to   UEFA’s financial regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
They are also accused of failing to co-operate with the league’s investigation. In all, there are charges relating to every season between 2009-10 and 2022-23.
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A resolution has been a long time coming but Colombian football journalist and broadcaster Cesar Augusto Londoño insists a verdict is now around the corner and it doesn’t look good for Man City.
Londoño wrote on X last week: ‘Manchester City would be sanctioned with a deduction of 60 points for 115 breaches of Financial Fair Play. The official announcement of the punishment will be made before the end of the season. This sanction would take the club to the last place in the Premier League and it would be condemned to relegation.’
And now reports in Spain claim that Haaland ‘could become the central figure in an unexpected departure if the English club’s situation worsens’.
Haaland’s agent, Rafaela Pimienta, has ‘arranged an initial meeting in Barcelona to explore the feasibility of the transfer should City be relegated to the second division’ as she ‘activates’ the path the Camp Nou.
Any transfer for Haaland – who has already reportedly ‘asked’ to leave the Etihad Stadium for Barcelona – ‘would depend directly on the resolution of Manchester City ‘s situation, but initial contacts are already underway’.
The report adds: ‘In the event of a severe sanction, Haaland ‘s continued presence at the club would be extremely difficult. The club’s sporting project would be seriously jeopardised, and the player might consider an immediate move to continue competing at the highest level. The Norwegian isn’t even considering the possibility of spending a whole year competing in the Championship.
‘The reality is that Barça sees this situation as a unique market opportunity. Signing a striker like Haaland would represent a huge leap in quality, although the deal remains contingent on financial factors and the evolution of the situation in England. The fact is, it’s the only way the Norwegian can arrive.’
