Manchester City are considering taking legal action after a Real Madrid presidential candidate promised to take Erling Haaland to the Bernabeu.
City say there is no chance of their top scorer leaving and no clause in his contract to mean Real can get him away from the Etihad Stadium.
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Enrique Riquelme, who is challenging the incumbent president Florentino Perez, held up a Real shirt with “Haaland 9” on the back during an appearance on Spanish television in which he claimed the Norway international had a release clause and wants to join the 15-times European champions.
But a City club spokesperson said: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue.
“There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”
Haaland’s father and agent also issued a joint statement, rebutting Iglesias’s claim.
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Alfie Haaland and Rafaela Pimenta said: “All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Madrid elections.”
Haaland, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, has eight seasons left on the nine-and-a-half year contract extension he signed in January 2025.
The 25-year-old has scored 162 goals in 198 games for City and won the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the third time this season, when he struck 27 times in the top flight and 38 in all competitions.
Meanwhile, current president Perez made his own election promise on Wednesday night, revealing Jose Mourinho wearing a Real Madrid shirt and saying “yes” amid speculation that he is set to return as manager.
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Perez is seeking his eighth term as president and wants to bring former coach Mourinho back to the Bernabeu following a second consecutive season without a trophy.
Jose Mourinho appeared in a Real Madrid shirt during Florentino Perez’s campaign video (@Florentino2026_/X)
Fulham boss Marco Silva is set to replace Mourinho at Benfica, clearing the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter Milan manager to return to Real Madrid following a three-year spell that ended in 2013.
Real Madrid’s presidential election will be decided by the club’s members. It is the first contested election since 2006.
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