Erling Haaland set to have release clause in new contract as Real Madrid look to enter race

According to reports, Erling Haaland and Manchester City are nearing an agreement that would make him the team's highest-paid player, taking Kevin De Bruyne's place.The Belgian midfielder, who reportedly earns £425,000 a week, is currently City's highest paid player. By contrast, Haaland already ranks among the club's highest earners with a base wage of £375,000 each week. 

But the forward's contract structure contains a number of performance-related bonuses that may push his weekly salary above £85,000. Nevertheless, a report by Marca suggests that he might make €24 million net every season from the new contract. But the new deal might have a release clause which might be within the affordability of Real Madrid. There is no information as to how much the clause is going to be but it is expected to be a big one. 

Haaland has previously been linked to a move towards Real Madrid, but that is now affected by Los Blancos' purchase of Kylian Mbappe. Even though a Haaland and Mbappe strike combo would be very entertaining, if Haaland does sign a new contract with City, he may have his sights set on the English Premier League's leading goalscorer record.

Will Erling Haaland stay at Manchester City if Pep Guardiola leaves?

Since his arrival, Pep Guardiola has remained a strong supporter of Haaland. Guardiola has constantly emphasised the forward's value to the team and lauded his skills when asked about the Norwegian's position in his tactical scheme. This new agreement may be a major show of support from the team for Haaland, indicating that they will depend on him for sustained success even if Guardiola steps down as manager in 2025.

Haaland's progress since joining Manchester City has been amazing. The 24-year-old has notched 97 goals in 102 games in only two seasons, making him one of the most productive forwards in European sport. In the process, he has motivated the team to win another Premier League title the next season and a record treble in the first. On September 14, he was going to return back to the Etihad to play Brentford after his international obligations with Norway.