Reports of Haaland's interest in Real Madrid unsettles Manchester City's dressing room

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Indications of Erling Haaland’s interest in a sensational move to Real Madrid or Barcelona have unsettled the dressing room of Manchester City.

The 24-year-old Haaland has been nothing short of phenomenal since his arrival in the summer of 2022 at Manchester City, clinching the treble and smashing records thanks to his astonishing 101 goals in just 109 appearances.

But Haaland’s extraordinary goal-scoring spree has come at a price for City, as Real Madrid, along with their fierce rivals Barcelona, have been credited as suitors for the Norwegian striker, Daily Express reports.

Sky Sports recently reported that Haaland is attracted by the idea of moving to Madrid in the near future, a sentiment he’s already shared with his close circle.

Haaland reportedly has a £125m release clause in his contract that is set to expire in 2027, which could work in the Spanish giants’ favour.. The same Sky Sports report suggests that should Haaland depart for Spain next summer, City might pursue Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Adding to City’s concerns, Haaland’s father, Alf-Inge, has openly expressed his son’s ambition to test himself across Europe’s top leagues. In the documentary ‘Haaland: The Big Decision’, he said: “I think Erling wants to prove his abilities in all leagues. Then he can stay there [Manchester City] for three or four years at the most.

“He could be, for example, two-and-a-half years in Germany, two-and-a-half years in England and then in Spain, Italy, France, right?”

He added: “On our list, I think City is the best team. [Bayern] Munich is number two. We have Real Madrid as number three, Paris Saint-Germain as number four. We also have some English teams other than City who are quite good. Liverpool and Chelsea. Also, there is Barcelona. They are sort of in the same row.”