02 September 2023 , 12:32
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Erling Haaland's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, insists the Manchester City star's "destiny is in his own hands" amid speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid.
Haaland plundered 52 goals in 53 appearances for City in his debut campaign as they completed a historic Treble and the forward has already picked up where he left off this season, scoring three goals in City's first three Premier League games.
However, there have been suggestions the Norwegian could end up leaving Manchester to join Real Madrid soon. Haaland's dad, Alf-Inge, said last year he only plans to stay at City for "for three or four years at the most" and Pimenta has previously admitted the Spanish giants are a "dreamland" for every player.
There has been talk of a release clause in Haaland's contract which would allow him to leave City for £150m next summer, but the Athletic have claimed that was linked directly to Pep Guardiola's future and was scrapped after he extended his deal until 2025.
The report stated that it was 'unclear' whether there were other similar clauses in Haaland's contract and Pimenta has been tight-lipped about the exact details. "The mystery of this story is nice because nobody knows where it is, like a treasure chest," she told Mundo Deportivo in May.
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And she has once again remained coy about Haaland's future when asked about the prospect of him joining Real Madrid. "The open door can mean a lot of things," Pimenta told El Chiringuito. "Our players can have the feeling that they have their destiny in their hands."
Her latest comments come after Steve McManaman, who played for both clubs during his career, branded suggestions Haaland will one day leave City and make the move to Madrid "strange".
"To have your future path mapped out for you like that is strange," he said. "I've no idea if any club can afford him going off what he's supposed to be paid. We can only talk about now.
Haaland sits with his agent Rafaela Pimenta and dad Alf-Inge"He's joined Man City as a potential superstar from Dortmund and previously Salzburg. He's continued in the same vein and if he keeps on giving those numbers and is successful this year…
"If you look across Europe and think of Benzema getting the Ballon d'Or last year and you look at all of the teams, there's not many stand outs this year. If he's scoring 50 goals and is in a successful Man City team – they're not successful yet – he can elevate himself to a different level to when he joined.
"All he can keep doing is improving and improving. If he can continue doing that for the next three or four years, who knows, he might stay at City because he's enjoying his football.
"All I can go on is, for me, Real Madrid is a wonderful club and when I go back and see everybody it's a family-oriented place. The same people who were there 20 years ago are there. I've many friends there. I love the club."