Manchester City Consider Legal Action Over Haaland Transfer Claims

Manchester City are weighing up legal action after a Real Madrid presidential candidate publicly promised to sign Erling Haaland and even held up a Madrid shirt with the striker’s name on it.

Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy tycoon bidding to unseat Florentino Perez, made the bold claim live on Spanish television on Wednesday. He produced a Real Madrid jersey with “Haaland” on the back and declared: “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.”

The response was immediate and furious.

Haaland’s camp moved first, with his father and agent issuing a joint denial. Manchester City then backed it up in blunt terms, dismissing the idea that their No 9 is poised for the Bernabeu.

“The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue,” their statement said. “There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it.

“We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

For City, this is about more than transfer gossip. It strikes at control of their most valuable asset and the use of his image in an election battle 900 miles away.

Riquelme, though, did not stop at Haaland. He also vowed to bring in City’s midfield general Rodri, identifying him as a cornerstone of his sporting project.

“He is a great player, in a position where Madrid need to strengthen,” Riquelme said. “We have spoken to his agent. We have to respect his club, but if I'm president he will play for Madrid. I will do everything possible.”

Two of Pep Guardiola’s most important players, both openly targeted, both used as political capital in a Real Madrid election campaign. The message from Manchester could not be clearer: hands off.

Riquelme’s challenge comes at a rare moment of vulnerability for Perez. For the first time in 20 years, the long-serving president is not running unopposed. The club has just endured two seasons without a major trophy, a drought that has fuelled discontent in the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu and opened the door to opposition.

Sensing an opportunity, Riquelme has built a campaign heavy on promises and spectacle. He has pledged vast benefits for club members, including a “members’ city” for fans around the training base and a cut of up to 50% in annual membership fees if Madrid fail to win the Champions League next season.

He has also gone directly at one of Perez’s most contentious decisions: the move to bring Jose Mourinho back to the club. Mourinho’s appointment can only be formally ratified if Perez wins the election, and Riquelme has made it clear he wants a different face on the touchline.

The name at the top of his wishlist is Jurgen Klopp.

Riquelme and his campaign team have repeatedly hinted that the former Liverpool manager is their preferred candidate to take charge. Speaking to The Athletic last month, he stopped short of a direct promise but left little doubt about the calibre he is chasing.

“Naturally, I would love for profiles of that calibre, and others like them, to coach this club,” he said.

It all feeds into an unusually charged presidential race. Just under 100,000 club members are eligible to vote on Sunday, 7 June, in an election called by Perez himself as he seeks a renewed mandate after sustained unrest.

On the pitch, Madrid’s standards have slipped. Off it, the political temperature has risen. And now Manchester City have been dragged into the storm, their star striker and midfield lynchpin thrust into the centre of a campaign they never asked to join.

Perez remains the overwhelming favourite to win. If he does, Mourinho is waiting in the wings. If Riquelme pulls off a shock, he has tied his credibility to Haaland, Rodri and a manager of Klopp’s stature.

For all three, and for City, the question now is simple: how far is a presidential hopeful willing to go to turn election noise into reality?