Erling Haaland will sign for Real Madrid, claims Borussia Dortmund chief
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland will eventually sign for Real Madrid, according to Borussia Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke.
The Norwegian forward has been the subject of intense transfer speculation following bold promises made by Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme.
Riquelme has pledged to bring the prolific goalscorer to the Bernabeu if he is successful in Sunday’s election.
Dortmund chief predicts Spanish move
Watzke, who previously oversaw the striker’s development in Germany, believes a move to the Spanish capital is a certainty.
However, the Dortmund executive dismissed the possibility of an immediate departure from the Etihad Stadium.
“I know very well what he thinks, and I can say that he certainly admires Real Madrid and would like to play for them in the future, but next season he will continue playing for Manchester City.”
Hans-Joachim Watzke
Watzke added that the former Bundesliga star will likely make the switch in two or three years.
Manchester City threaten legal action
The Premier League champions have fiercely rejected the Spanish reports, insisting there is no contractual clause enabling such a transfer.
City released a firm statement condemning the claims and confirming they are considering legal action regarding the unauthorised use of their player’s image.
The Manchester club maintain that the stories are completely unfounded and there is absolutely no chance of the transfer happening.
Representatives dismiss election promises
The player’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, and his father, Alfie, have also publicly dismissed the ongoing election rumours.
They released a joint statement describing the Madrid-based claims as entertaining but entirely untrue.
Despite the strong denials from the English club and the player’s camp, Riquelme remains adamant about his transfer strategy.
The presidential candidate insists that formal negotiations will commence immediately if he secures a victory at the ballot box.