19 April 2023 , 18:06
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Erling Haaland's sensational season in front of goal during his debut season in the Premier League has inspired Manchester City to cancel a release clause originally inserted into his deal.
However, this latest update does mean the plans laid bare by the striker's father Alf-Inge a few years ago will have to be altered. The contract Haaland signed upon his arrival at City last summer included a £150million release clause, but 32 Premier League goals later and Pep Guardiola's side want to make sure the Norwegian is kept at the Etihad for as long as possible.
Initially, the release clause would have become active in the summer of 2024. However, it will now be scrapped entirely, such is City's desperation to keep their hands on Haaland.
It is thought that the release clause was linked with Guardiola's future, but now with the manager extending his deal until 2025, the Etihad faithful can expect to see Haaland for at least another two years.
According to The Athletic, City officials are in the process of drawing up an entirely new contract for the former Borussia Dortmund sensation. Should Haaland put pen to paper on the deal, it would mean the plan his father had laid out for him would not be followed.
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While the striker himself has rarely discussed his future in public, Alf-Inge has done so on multiple occasions.
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Man City have scrapped a release clause that was inserted into Erling Haaland's original contractSpeaking on the documentary 'Haaland: The Big Decision', Haaland's father previously 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 went on to add: "On our list, I think City is the best team," he said. "[Bayern] Munich is number two. We have Real Madrid as number three, and 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."
Haaland is thought to be very happy at City and open to the idea of negotiations surrounding a new deal, though the club will also want to ensure his full focus remains on purely on-pitch matters.
The 22-year-old is three goals away from breaking the all-time record for the number of goals scored by one player in a single Premier League season.
Speaking after his latest pair against Leicester last weekend, boss Guardiola claimed Haaland could continue to rewrite history for years to come.
"He can break all the records possible, that will help him," the Spaniard said. "It’s impressive. He’s close to breaking all of them records. You can put all the statistics you like in front of me - all I can say is that I’m impressed."