Published On 4/6/2026
Manchester City is considering taking legal measures after Enrique Riquelme, the candidate for the presidency of Real Madrid, said that he would sign a contract with Norwegian Erling Haaland, the club’s competing striker in the English Premier League, if elected.
Riquelme, an investor in the field of renewable energy and a rival to current President Florentino Perez, made this pledge during a television appearance in Spain yesterday, Wednesday, where he held up a Real Madrid shirt bearing Haaland’s name.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
City threatens to sue Enrique Riquelme
A Manchester City spokesman said on Thursday: “The reports coming from Spain regarding Erling Haaland’s future are incorrect.”
He added, “There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause that allows it. We are considering taking legal action due to the use of our player’s image in this context.”
Riquelme stated that Haaland, who scored 38 goals in all competitions last season, has a release clause and wants to move to the Spanish club, adding that he will make this deal his top priority if he wins the elections scheduled for Sunday.
A joint statement issued by Alfie Haaland, the player’s father, and Raffaella Pimenta, the 25-year-old striker’s agent, quickly rejected these allegations, describing them as “untrue.”
Riquelme added that he would also try to sign Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, explaining that he had spoken to the player’s agent and that he would “do everything in his power” to bring the Ballon d’Or winner to Madrid.
Real Madrid elections
These statements come against the backdrop of the Real Madrid presidential elections, which are the first in two decades that Perez does not run unopposed, after the club left without any major title for two consecutive seasons.
Voting is scheduled to take place on Sunday, with about 100,000 club members eligible to participate.
Haaland had the option of joining Real Madrid in 2022 when he left Borussia Dortmund, but he chose Manchester City, the club his father previously played for.
Although the striker, who was crowned the Premier League’s top scorer for the third time in four seasons, had previously expressed his desire to play for Real Madrid one day, there are no indications that he is not happy in Manchester City, as he signed a new contract for nine and a half years in January 2025.
