Haaland's new contract: The key questions answered

Erling Haaland has signed an extraordinary nine-and-a-half-year contract at Manchester City but what do we know about the finances of the deal?

The agreement takes Haaland up to 2034 at the Etihad Stadium, making it the longest contract in the Premier League and putting paid to long-standing links with Real Madrid.

Here, we run through some of the key questions surrounding the deal and what it means for Manchester City’s rebuild – amid the looming 115 charges for alleged financial breaches – with help from Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom.

How have Man City pulled off this deal?

What a signing for Manchester City. It’s absolutely titanic.

This is a deal that has taken some time to put together. I’m told there have been months and months of negotiations between outgoing director of football Txiki Begiristain, helped by the incoming Hugo Viana and Manchester City’s executives, and Haaland and his team.

But there was always an appetite for him to extend his stay here. He is absolutely loving life in Manchester City. There has always been a feeling externally that Haaland was here as a stepping stone to Real Madrid, but he has committed his future here.

It just shows how much he is enjoying it.

He is someone who was born into a family that had a real affiliation with City through his dad Alfie Haaland. When he arrived, he really wanted to be part of the furniture. He has written his name into Manchester City folklore already.

What a moment to put this news out as well…

‘What a moment’ indeed. How should the news be read alongside the ongoing fight with the Premier League over the alleged 115 charges?

News of Haaland’s contract extension comes against the context of Man City fighting the Premier League over more than 100 charges of alleged financial breaches.

Given the most severe potential penalty is relegation, this is a statement of intent from City to reinforce their belief that they have done nothing wrong.

In fact, City believe everyone at the Premier League should be celebrating the fact that one of the best players in the world has committed to playing in this competition above the likes of LaLiga.

Is Haaland now the Premier League’s highest-paid player?

Manchester City are keeping the finances of the deal well under wraps.

But the contract will provide an uplift on his previous deal, which we understand was in the region of £400,000 per week. He is now without question Manchester City’s highest earner and, most likely, the highest-paid player in the Premier League too.

Does the deal include any release clauses?

Sky Sports News understands Haaland’s new contract does NOT include any release clauses, which means any clauses in his previous contract have been removed.

Why nine and a half years?

We are told the length of the deal has absolutely nothing to do with spreading costs to meet PSR regulations.

Manchester City believe they have plenty of head room on that front due to the profits they have made in the transfer market in recent seasons.

Rather, it is an indication of how highly they value Haaland’s extraordinary contribution in terms of his goals, and their determination to tie him down for as long as they possibly can.

How worried should the rest of the Premier League be?

Very. Haaland has been tormenting Premier League defences from the moment he arrived. His total of 79 Premier League goals since the start of the 2022/23 season is 24 higher than the next player on the list in Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

The numbers underline just how devastating he has been, scoring at an unprecedented rate of 0.99 goals per 90 minutes. Carry on at the same rate and he will smash Alan Shearer’s record of 260 Premier League goals with several years of his contract to spare.

Already the world’s deadliest scorer, never mind the Premier League’s, it is worth noting he has not even reached his peak aged 24. The thought that his best is yet to come is a scary prospect for defenders up and down the division.