News Focus
- Manchester City may sue over claims about their star striker
- A Real Madrid election hopeful promised to sign Erling Haaland
- The Norwegian’s family and agent have denied the rumours
- The Spanish club will hold presidential elections on Sunday, 7 June
- City midfielder Rodri was also named as a transfer target
Manchester City are considering court action after a candidate for the Real Madrid presidency claimed he would sign Erling Haaland. The Premier League champions have rubbished suggestions that their striker could leave the club.
Enrique Riquelme, who hopes to defeat current president Florentino Perez, appeared on television holding a shirt with Haaland’s name. He told viewers the Norwegian has a release clause and wants to join the Spanish giants. Riquelme promised to complete the transfer if he wins Sunday’s election.
However, Haaland’s father Alfie Inge and his agent Rafaela Pimenta issued a joint statement denying these claims. They called the story “entertaining” but insisted it was not true. Manchester City also released a strong statement rejecting the rumours.
The club said there is no release clause in Haaland’s contract. They added that they are looking at legal options because the candidate used their player’s image without permission.
Riquelme also said he wants to sign City’s midfielder Rodri. He admitted speaking to the player’s representative. The Spain international has one year left on his contract and will decide his future after the World Cup.
The claims come during a heated election campaign at Real Madrid. Riquelme is challenging Perez for the first time in twenty years. Approximately 100,000 members will vote on Sunday, 7 June. Each member pays around £130 per year, creating about £10 million in income for the club.
Perez called the election early to secure a fresh mandate after a season without major trophies. Most experts believe he will win easily against the 37-year-old challenger.
Riquelme has promised fans many benefits if he wins. These include building a new complex with swimming pools near the training ground and cutting membership fees by half if the team fails to win the Champions League. He opposes Perez’s plan to hire Jose Mourinho as manager. Instead, he hinted he wants former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Club legends are divided. Karim Benzema and Roberto Carlos support Perez, while Iker Casillas backs Riquelme. Perez first became president in 2000 when he promised to sign Luis Figo from Barcelona. He later brought in stars like Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham. He resigned in 2006 but returned unopposed in 2009.
Rodri recently said he feels calm about his situation. He explained that he would have resolved his future already if there was no World Cup this summer.