Guardiola dismisses speculations about Haaland’s €200 million release clause: “Not true”

Earlier this week, reports emerged claiming that clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid could stand a chance to sign Erling Haaland in the summer of 2024 as he had a special release clause embedded in his contract with Manchester City.

The 22-year-old Norwegian hitman joined the Premier League champions only this past summer and is tearing apart defences in England and Europe. Indeed, Haaland has already plundered as many as 19 goals in just 12 matches across all competitions.

While his goalscoring acumen was never in doubt, his quick adaptation to life at a new club has left people surprised.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace signed a contract with Man City that runs until the summer of 2027. It had been speculated that the deal consists of a release clause worth €200 million that clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid can opt to trigger in 2024.

However, manager Pep Guardiola has now dismissed those claims, stating that they are all baseless rumours.

Speaking after Manchester City’s win over FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League, the Catalan head coach said (h/t The Guardian):

“It’s not true. He has no release clause for Real Madrid or any other team. It’s not true, what can I say? I have the feeling he is incredibly happy here and we will try to make him happy. You cannot worry about the rumours, we have to worry about what we can control.”

Prior to his move to Manchester City, Barcelona were heavily linked with Haaland. There had been talks with his camp about a possible move, although the finances of the deal meant that the Catalans were out of contention.

Instead, Barça ended up signing Robert Lewandowski, who has made a prolific start to life in Catalonia. At 34, though, the Poland international will soon enter the final phase of his career. And a move for someone like Haaland to replace him in a couple of years would have made sense for the club.

But, as things stand, it seems like the much touted €200 million release clause does not exist in his contract.