Erling Haaland has enjoyed a hugely successful start to his Manchester City career, but that doesn’t mean that his representatives aren’t already planning for the future.
Haaland has scored 33 goals in 33 games since City signed him from Borussia Dortmund for £52m last summer. However, despite signing a five-year contract with the Blues, neither he nor his representatives have made secret of his desire to test himself in different leagues and at other top clubs.
City beat Real Madrid to Haaland’s signature, but since then there has barely been a day without rumours circulating about his future.
While there is a release clause in Haaland’s City contract, it only comes into effect in 2024 and cannot be activated by other Premier League clubs.
Since the passing of super-agent Mino Raiola last year, Haaland has been represented by Rafaela Pimenta. Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit recently – as reported by the Manchester Evening News – she admitted that she has already held talks with clubs regarding Haaland’s future.
“In my agency we try to make a plan. We have to make a plan. We need to have a goal. Maybe we won’t achieve it but if don’t know where we’re going for sure we don’t get there,” Pimenta said.
“Maybe we don’t get there anyhow, but at least we tried. We make plans even if you’re 15 years old. Then we’re not passive about it. We cannot be sitting down and waiting, maybe they will call me because Haaland is so fantastic, waiting for the call.
“The day the market [transfer window] finishes is the day I start visiting clubs to talk about players, to see what may be in the future. We are in February, I have already been to rounds of clubs four times this year.
“There are so many different clubs, we can be studying, who’s going to retire, who’s getting old, who’s injured, who’s doing bad. Maybe this will happen there. It’s like a chess game and you try to anticipate the next move.”
Pimenta went on to talk about why Haaland chose to join City over Real Madrid. Not surprisingly, Pep Guardiola played a part in the striker’s decision.
“Erling went to City because – you’d have to ask him, but my opinion is that there’s such a history of this family with City. You see pictures of Erling as a baby in the City jersey.
“So I find it only natural that he would want to experience what his father experienced. And of course very much above that is the fact he wanted to be with Guardiola.”
