Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland is being lined up for a shock move by Real Madrid at the end of the season, should they miss out on PSG and France striker Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, 25, has been targeted by the Spanish giants since 2017. And as of January 1, he has been free to negotiate with non-French teams over a free transfer at the end of the current campaign, when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.
Conflicting reports over his future emerged on the weekend, with The Times writing Mbappe was left “unimpressed” by Madrid imposing a January deadline for the Frenchman to decide whether or not to join Los Blancos.
Meanwhile, Foot Mercato reported the Spanish heavyweights have reached an agreement to sign him.
But Mbappe’s representatives have shut down the latter report, saying that he has not yet even discussed his next move.
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“There is no agreement around Kylian’s future, especially since there are no discussions started about it,” Mbappe’s representatives said in a statement to RMC Sport. “No type of influence could dictate the timing of Kylian’s discussions, reflections or decision.”
Premier League clubs such as Liverpool have also been linked as potential destinations for Mbappe.
Now, however, a report from Spain claims that Madrid will turn to Haaland should their Mbappe pursuit fail.
And in a shocking twist, the report claims Madrid could even attempt to sign both superstar strikers.
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Haaland’s Man City contract runs until 2027 and widespread reports have stated it includes a release clause worth 200 million euros or more – though it decreases every year.
But respected football journalist Tomas Roncero of AS claims that clause is significantly less for a foreign club, writing: “it is much closer to 100 million than 200.”
Man City signed Haaland from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 for roughly £51m, with the 23-year-old enjoying an all-time debut season, scoring 52 goals in 53 appearances.
This season, despite injuries, he already has 19 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.
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Manchester City have no intention of losing their world-class striker, but cashed-up Madrid could force their hand by meeting his release clause at the end of the season.
And the AS report quotes a Madrid source as saying: “our economy is so solvent that we could even consider signing both of them, Mbappé and Haaland.”
That’s because out-of-contract Mbappe would arrive without a transfer fee, effectively saving them hundreds of millions of dollars.
Roncero wrote in AS that ‘Plan B’ would be to bring Haaland in for the 2025 season, with Madrid bullish on the potential of 17-year-old Brazil striker Endrick this season.
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