Why Erling Haaland transfer claim has Man City considering legal action vs. Real Madrid presidential candidate

The club season may be over, but Real Madrid are gearing up for one of their most important moments in recent history.

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For the first time in two decades, the incumbent club president, Florentino Perez, is facing competition in the elections. Enrique Riquelme, a renewable energy tycoon, is offering fans an alternative means to restore Madrid to the top of Spanish football after two seasons without one of the major trophies.

As part of his campaigning, Riquelme has promised to land some marquee signings in the transfer window: Erling Haaland and Rodri, two of Manchester City’s undisputed stars.

It’s not uncommon for candidates to curry favour with voters by making assurances over new players — Perez himself has done so numerous times, most infamously in 2000 when he guaranteed and then brokered the deal to sign Luis Figo from Barcelona — but on this occasion, it’s caused more than mere eye-rolling among Madrid’s rivals.

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What did Enrique Riquelme say about Erling Haaland?

Riquelme appeared on Spanish television on June 3 for a highly dramatic reveal of his top transfer promise should he win the election.

On El Hormiguero, a long-running chat show, Riquelme said he would bring Madrid legends Raul and Fernando Hierro back to the club to operate as sporting director and the academy. He then revealed a Madrid jersey with Haaland’s name on the back and said: «He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.»

Riquelme also insisted he would do «everything possible» to bring Rodri to the Spanish capital and even vowed to compensate club members by covering the cost of their annual payments if he failed to keep his transfer promises.

What did Man City say about Erling Haaland transfer claim?

There was a prompt response from both City and the player’s entourage.

Haaland’s father, Alfie, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, issued a statement via Fabrizio Romano to say: «All very entertaining but NOT true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.»

City’s rebuttal was considerably stronger in tone. In a statement widely carried in the UK, including by BBC Sport, the Premier League club said: «The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. 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.»

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Does Erling Haaland have a release clause?

It is believed Haaland does not have a release clause in his contract. When he signed a fresh nine-and-a-half-year deal with City back in early 2025, which earns him a reported $610,000 (£500,000) per week, all such clauses from his previous deal were expunged.

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In other words, any club that wishes to sign Haaland would have to pay whatever fee City demanded. Such a sum would potentially be close to the world record set in 2017, when Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million. Any such deal would obviously be extremely difficult to pull off, even for a club of Madrid’s wealth and stature.

Will Real Madrid sign Erling Haaland?

Haaland being of interest to Madrid is certainly nothing new. According to The Athletic, they were interested back in 2021, although Borussia Dortmund did not want to sell. A year later, when Madrid’s focus was on trying to secure a deal for Mbappe, Haaland was bought by City.

After two seasons of watching Barcelona dominate La Liga and without getting close to winning the Champions League, the idea of bringing in a player of Haaland’s calibre will undoubtedly appeal to fans (and, crucially, club members who vote in the presidential elections), but this is a transfer that looks highly unlikely to happen regardless of who wins the race between Perez and Riquelme.

Who will be next Real Madrid president?

Presidential elections have seen one candidate run unopposed since 2006, when Perez’s first term was ended by Ramon Calderon, so it was something of a surprise when Riquelme launched his challenge.

He likely appeals to plenty of voters who have become disenchanted with Perez, who was president from 2000 to 2006 and has held the office since 2009. Madrid’s two flat seasons in 2024/25 and 2025/26 have created a reasonable level of opposition.

Riquelme has made sweeping promises to members, including a vow to cut fees if the team does not win the Champions League and to create a «city» destination around the club’s training base for their personal use. The prospect of a fresh start under a member-first approach, coupled with the promise of big-name signings and an (as yet) unconfirmed head-coach candidate, could earn him a lot of support — particularly with club legends Raul and Hierro in his corner.

However, Perez’s stock is still high among many voters. The men’s team has won the Champions League five times since he regained the presidency in 2009, and the recent redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabeu means the club can once more argue they have the best stadium in the world. Perez has also dismissed Riquelme’s campaign promises as unrealistic, while vowing to bring back Jose Mourinho as coach and defensive reinforcements in Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries. ‘Perez the realist’ is a far cry from the man who insisted he would not waste club money on centre-backs in the mid-2000s, but these days, it is a good way to appeal to moderate voters.

It’s a difficult race to predict. There is plenty to play for between now and the elections on June 7.

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