"You should ask Madrid" - Erling Haaland's agent responds to Real Madrid rumors amid Manchester City contract talks

Erling Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta has had her say on the latest rumors linking the Norwegian with Real Madrid. Los Blancos are reportedly planning a bumper 2024 summer window and Haaland is on their list as well.

According to football-espana, Haaland's contract with Manchester City has a £200m release clause which gets activated next summer. Madrid are expected to persist with their approach for the striker if triggering the reported clause fits into their financial plans.

Haaland's agent Pimenta, however, refused to comment on the links before adding that her client deserved to win the Ballon d'Or. She told CorSport (via Fabrizio Romano):

“Real Madrid links? You should ask Real Madrid, not me.

“He deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, I hope he’s gonna win it one day — but I’m sure he prefers Champions League title with his team,” she added.

Notably, Haaland finished second behind Lionel Messi in the 2023 Ballon d'Or race.

The Norwegian joined Manchester City in a £52 million move from Borussia Dortmund in the 2022 summer window. He helped the club win a historic European treble in his debut season.

Overall, he has made 71 appearances for the Cityzens across competitions, scoring 69 and assisting 13 goals. He still has four years remaining on his contract with the Premier League champions, with reports claiming talks over a new deal are underway.

Real Madrid planning a double swoop for Haaland and Mbappe - Reports

A Diario AS report has claimed that Real Madrid can move in for both Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in 2024.

The Frenchman has been a long-term target for the Spanish giants and came close to joining the club in 2022 before signing a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). His contract runs down next summer and he has so far opted against signing yet another extension.

However, the club will have to raise funds to facilitate both the moves. The aforementioned report claims that Los Blancos currently have €128m available for transfers, with another €265m of funding expected next year.

With Mbappe expected to arrive on a free, the additional funding will help them sign Haaland and cover parts of the duo's wages. Moreover, they will also free some of their wage bills, which would come in handy when signing two of the biggest superstars of the game.