Erling Haaland has committed the vast majority of his career to Manchester City by signing an extraordinary new contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2034.
Haaland’s previous terms were due to expire in June 2027 but according to people familiar with the deal, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, he has now put pen to paper on an improved nine-and-a-half-year agreement that covers 10 seasons.
By the time it ends, the Norway international will be turning 34 years old — and any release clauses put in his last deal have been removed.
Although the precise numbers are currently unclear, people familiar with the deal say it is among the most lucrative sporting contracts ever and underlines the bond between Haaland and City.
Despite speculation linking the 24-year-old with a move to Real Madrid, Haaland is known to be extremely happy living in Manchester and representing the Premier League champions.
Following a €60million transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, the prolific forward has scored a staggering 111 goals in 126 games and lifted two English top-flight titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League and a Super Cup.
Haaland will almost certainly surpass manager Pep Guardiola’s time at City, the decorated Catalan having signed a two-year extension last November that takes him through to 2027.
Guardiola, staff, team-mates and the club hierarchy — right up to chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak — are known to enjoy an excellent relationship with Haaland. He also became a parent recently, is settled after moving house in the local area and has emulated his father Alfie by playing for City.
Retaining who they feel is the world’s best front man — and for such a period — will delight City and their supporters, especially amid a season that has so far seen them struggle on the pitch.
Off the field, meanwhile, they are still awaiting the outcome of a battle against the Premier League over alleged financial rule breaches, which is expected to bring a verdict this year.
It has already been a busy month at City; they are in the process of recruiting centre-backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis from Lens and Palmeiras respectively, in addition to Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush.
Erling Haaland’s huge career contract: What signing until 2034 means for him and Man City
‘City’s cornerstone for the next decade’
Analysis by Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee
This is a frankly remarkable development.
When Haaland signed for City in 2022 the expectation was that he might only be in the Premier League fleetingly, fuelled not just by the general assumption that he would like to play for Real Madrid, but by comments made by his own father about moving around the top European leagues.
And yet not only has he signed a new deal at City, he has signed one which essentially makes him a cornerstone of the club for the next decade, a deal that is sure to see him outlast Pep Guardiola, the vast majority if not all of his team-mates, and quite possibly a lot of the executives as well.
Nobody knows how the next nine years will pan out but the plan right now is obvious: everything will be built around Haaland. It is his City now.
What does it mean for the Premier League goalscoring record?
Analysis by Mark Carey
Where does this leave Erling Haaland in the race to be the all-time Premier League top goalscorer? Well, really the maths is simple.
Haaland has scored 79 goals since he arrived in England, with Alan Shearer’s tally of 260 goals a distant desire. While Haaland’s rate of 0.96 league goals per 90 is other-worldly, surely Haaland could never catch Shearer’s record based solely on the longevity of his Premier League career — spanning 14 seasons.
This new contract changes the narrative altogether.
Even a conservative estimate of a 20-goal average spanned across the next 10 seasons would see Haaland reach the tally before his contract is up. A realistic estimate would see him blow the record out of the water with time to spare, provided he is fortunate with injuries.
This isn’t just big news for Erling Haaland, or Manchester City fans. This news could have ripple effects across the history of the Premier League.
(Top image: Dan Goldfarb/Visionhaus/Getty Images)
