A fresh dispute has reportedly emerged between Manchester City and a Real Madrid presidential candidate after Enrique Riquelme claimed he had secured a plan to bring Erling Haaland to the Santiago BernabĂ©u if he wins the clubâs upcoming election.
Riquelme, who is challenging current Real Madrid president Florentino PĂ©rez, sparked debate during a television appearance in Spain where he promised to sign both Haaland and Rodri as part of his election campaign.
The candidate went even further by displaying a Real Madrid shirt bearing Haalandâs name and claiming that the Norwegian striker has a special release clause that would allow him to leave Manchester City. He also suggested that the player would be interested in joining the Spanish giants.
However, those claims were quickly dismissed by individuals close to Haaland. His father, Alfie Haaland, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, reportedly responded by saying the reports were "interesting to hear, but not true."
Manchester City also issued a strong response, insisting there is no possibility of Haaland moving to Real Madrid at this time and stating that no clause exists in his contract that would allow such a transfer.
Furthermore, the club reportedly indicated that it is considering legal action over the use of the player's image and name in the context of a Real Madrid election campaign.
According to the reported statement from Manchester City:
"The reports emerging from Spain regarding Erling Haaland's future are not true. There is no possibility of such a move happening, and there is no contractual clause that would allow it. We are considering legal action regarding the use of our player's image in this context."
The controversy comes as Real Madrid prepares for presidential elections expected to take place later this week. Riquelme has been using high-profile transfer promises as part of his campaign strategy against long-serving president Florentino PĂ©rez.
