Manchester City are planning to open contract talks with Erling Haaland in the coming months as they attempt to further tie down the record-breaker.
Haaland has four years left on his current deal with the Treble winners but there is an appetite to lengthen that by at least another season.
Progress on securing fresh terms for the striker, who is expected to pocket an increase on his £400,000-a-week wages plus bonuses, would serve as a major blow to Real Madrid.
Real have a desire to lure the 23-year-old to the Bernabeu, while also possessing a firm interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe. The Spanish giants missed out on Haaland last year, who chose a £51million switch to City instead after an intense battle for his signature.
Haaland then shocked English football by scoring 52 goals in all competitions as City create history, with the club wanting to reward those exploits for a popular figure in the group.
The Norwegian quickly integrated himself at the Etihad Stadium and became a key member of the squad off the pitch, with Pep Guardiola believing he can still improve on it.
Even with alluring glances from Real, City are adamant that Haaland can realise his ambitions with them.
It is likely that a potential release clause will be discussed as they seek an agreement, with two initially added into his first contract – one of which was dependant on Guardiola’s future before he signed a new deal last November.
Haaland drew a blank during the dramatic late 3-1 win at RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday night but already has eight goals for the campaign and his relationship with Julian Alvarez has enthused the coaching team.
He will lead the line against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as the defending champions look to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat at Wolves and open a four-point gap with last year’s closest challengers.
There is hope that Arsenal’s expansive style will offer more space for Haaland, who has found himself double marked by defences in recent weeks.
‘Teams aren’t stupid, they study us and know what we’re doing,’ Phil Foden said. ‘Wolves played defensively and the tactics worked, there was no space to create things.
‘We have to put up with it, most teams play like this against us and we have to find our way through. It was an unfortunate result but we’re still top of the league and if we can go and beat Arsenal we can make it right.’
