Football

Erling Haaland holds the ‘key to the door’ for Man City exit, agent claims

February 2, 2023 11:00 am
Haaland

Erling Haaland’s agent says the striker holds the ‘key to the door’ for when he wants to leave Manchester City. Despite only joining City in the summer, Haaland has occasionally been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Such rumours have been intensified with the striker’s father, Alf-Inge Haaland, last year noting that his son may want to “test his capabilities” in every league.

The young Norwegian has already proven his worth in a handful of European leagues, shining brightly in Norway’s Eliteserien and the Austrian Bundesliga for Molde and Red Bull Salzburg respectively.

Haaland bagged 20 goals for the former and 29 goals for the latter, before banging in 86 goals in Germany for Borussia Dortmund.

Haaland holds the ‘key to the door’

Haaland has continued such fine form in the Premier League, scoring an incredible 31 goals in all competitions this season. That includes 25 league goals from just 19 games, with the lethal striker already past the tally that Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (23) recorded to secure last season’s Golden Boot.

Moreover, the Norwegian has netted four Premier League hat-tricks, and is currently chasing down Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s single-season Premier League record of 34 goals.

However, his agent Rafael Pimenta has sent a warning to Man City fans, explaining that the striker can pack his bags and go whenever he wants to.

“I am in favour of freedom,” said Pimenta, as per LiveScore. “It’s my battle. I always say that one of my priorities as an agent is to offer the player what I call ‘the key to the door.’

“When a player goes to a club, I do everything I can to create the conditions for the key to the door to be in his hands. And if tomorrow you can’t stand being there anymore because you don’t like it, or you’re not paid well, or because your wife wants to live in Paris? Then you leave, right?

“I don’t like it when my player is not free to decide. I’ve done every contract in this agency for the last 25 years. There wasn’t a single time a player said ‘I want to leave’ and couldn’t do it.”

Haaland

Haaland key to City run-in

Man City were certainly one of the more quiet clubs in the recent January transfer window, with Premier League rivals Chelsea stealing the headlines after breaking the British transfer record to bring Enzo Fernandez to Stamford Bridge.

The Manchester outfit did, however, let talented full-back Joao Cancelo leave on loan for Germany giants Bayern Munich, much to the surprise of many Man City fans.

The Portugal international had been struggling for playing time since the return of the Premier League after the 2022 World Cup, with youngster Rico Lewis shining at right-back.

Nathan Ake meanwhile has been impressing at left-back, forcing Cancelo elsewhere for regular football. He picked up an assist on his Bayern debut on Wednesday as the club defeated Mainz 4-0 in the DFB-Pokal.

City certainly have plenty of talent in all departments, but keeping Haaland fit may just be their number one priority going forward, with the Champions League knockout stages rapidly approaching.