Manchester City consider legal action over Real Madrid candidate’s Erling Haaland claims

Manchester City are considering legal action after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme claimed he will sign Erling Haaland if he wins the upcoming elections.

Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur, announced on Wednesday evening that the Norway international would be his star signing should he oust longtime incumbent Florentino Perez.

“Haaland has a release clause and wants to join Real Madrid,” Riquelme told El Hormiguero, a Spanish TV talk show on Antena 3, shortly after producing a Madrid shirt with Haaland 9 on the back.

Riquelme went on to say he would refund the membership fees for all of Real Madrid’s 100,000 members next season should he fail to deliver on his promise to sign the striker whose current contract, signed in January, ties him to City until 2034.

However, Haaland’s team moved quickly to distance themselves from Riquelme’s claims saying they were “all very entertaining but not true” before City announced their intention to potentially take things further.

A club spokesperson said: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it.

“We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

Riquelme also stated that Rodri, Haaland’s City team-mate, would also move to the Santiago Bernabeu if he wins.

The Spain international is out of contract at the Etihad Stadium at the end of next season but City’s position has consistently been they have no intention to sell him this summer.

Prior to Wednesday night, Riquelme had previously made other campaign promises announcing former Madrid players Raul and Fernando Hierro as part of his would-be team.

Perez, 79, has been the club’s president since 2000 and is considered a heavy favourite to remain in post.

On Wednesday evening in a rival announcement he confirmed, as first reported by The Athletic, that Jose Mourinho will be his manager if he wins the election.

He also announced that Ibrahima Konate will join as a free agent following his exit from Liverpool if he’s successful, while Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries is also an expected arrival.