Erling Haaland signs lucrative new contract with Man City until 2034

Erling Haaland has signed a new contract at Manchester City through 2034, committing his long-term future to the Premier League champions with one of the most lucrative deals in soccer amid uncertain times for the club on and off the field.

City announced the deal — covering 10 years from the start of this season — on Friday for the 24-year-old Haaland, who has scored 111 goals in 125 games since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 to establish himself as one of the best strikers in the world.

The deal is the longest in the Premier League, with Haaland reportedly earning around 500,000 pounds ($600,000) per week.

Asked what his reaction was when told of the unusual length of Haaland’s contract, City manager Pep Guardiola replied: “I said, ‘Can you repeat?'”

The Norway striker will be turning age 34 when the contract expires. The Athletic reported that the deal removed release clauses that were in his previous contract, which was due to expire in June 2027.

“Now I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward,” Haaland said in a City statement.

The new deal for Haaland comes as City awaits a verdict after being charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. Possible sanctions include a points deduction or relegation from the top division.

Among the promotional material published by City to announce the Haaland deal, the striker said tellingly: “Now I am City no matter what.”

In one of the videos, Haaland is seen calling City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak to say: “It’s all signed now.”

“OK, now I am comfortable,” Khaldoon was heard replying.

“The fact he is signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player,″ said Txiki Begiristain, City’s outgoing director of football, “and his love of this club.”

It kickstarts what looks like being a busy few weeks for City, which is expected to buy multiple players with the team enduring its worst season since Guardiola joined as manager in 2016.

City is sixth in the Premier League after 21 games of a title defense that has been derailed by injuries to key players and a dip in form of others. Guardiola’s team isn’t even sure of advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League, either, and has a crucial game against Paris Saint-Germain next week.

City has been linked with signing striker Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt and young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras. They would reportedly cost more than $150 million.

“I am really confident that we will turn things around,” Haaland said. “Things have been difficult as we are so used to winning games, but also it is a challenge for us.

“To get this feeling of hunger inside every single one of us to not look at things easier. Don’t take things for granted, that is an important thing. I will do everything I can to change things around.”

Haaland scored 52 goals in all competitions — including a single-season record 36 in the Premier League — in his first season with City, when the team won the league, FA Cup and Champions League to clinch the Treble.

He scored 38 goals in 45 appearances last season and has 21 goals already in this campaign as he goes for a third straight Golden Boot in the Premier League.

“Of course he is a special player,” Guardiola said. “To find a player like Erling, it’s so difficult to find a striker at that level. Once you have it, you need to make the effort to keep him.”

Haaland, who announced in October he was expecting his first child with his girlfriend, said it has “been like a dream in this two-and-a-half years.”

“I am really looking forward to what is next,” he said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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