On Thursday local time, Manchester City officially dismissed transfer rumors linking Erling Haaland to Spain and indicated they may take legal action over the misuse of Erling Haaland's image by a presidential candidate. The controversy stems from campaigning in the Real Madrid presidential election: renewable energy entrepreneur Riquelme appeared on Spanish television on Wednesday holding a Madrid shirt printed with Haaland's name, folding the Norwegian striker into his campaign pledges.
Election rhetoric collides with a nine-year contract
Riquelme is challenging incumbent president Florentino Pérez in the first contested Real Madrid presidential election in two decades. The club has gone two straight seasons without a major trophy, and around 100,000 members are eligible to vote on Sunday, with the ballot carrying direct weight for Madrid's transfer narrative in the years ahead.
On the program, Riquelme claimed that Haaland, who scored 38 goals across all competitions last season, has a release clause and wants to join Real Madrid, and that he would make the transfer a priority if elected on Sunday. Almost simultaneously, Haaland's father Alfie and agent Rafaela Pimenta issued a joint statement calling the claims "untrue." Manchester City's spokesperson was even more forceful: the move was "absolutely impossible," and no contractual clause existed that could facilitate a transfer.
For Haaland personally, this is not the first time he has been drawn into a "Real Madrid script." When he left Borussia Dortmund in 2022, he could have landed at the Bernabéu but instead chose Manchester City, where his father had once played, and signed a new contract in January 2025 running for nine and a half years. Over the past four seasons, he has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times; although he has publicly said he would like to play for Real Madrid one day, sources indicate he is not unhappy at City. Riquelme's television stunt looked more like tying the player's name to the ballot than responding to any genuine transfer window.
From the Bernabéu Option to the Etihad Choice
Haaland’s career turning points are often written at the crossroads of stay or go. That 2022 decision compressed talent, family ties and the sporting blueprint onto the same timeline: Real Madrid’s appeal was real, while Manchester City kept their star striker with a long-term plan. Now, being dragged out again by election candidates waving jerseys is essentially commodifying a player still under contract who has just signed an ultra-long extension—unlike ordinary transfer rumours, this touches the club’s control over a player’s image.
Manchester City stressed that stories coming out of Spain were “untrue” and flagged possible legal action, precisely on the grounds of “using our player’s image in this context.” For the relationship between player and fans, this kind of public, hijacking-style campaigning can leave supporters uncomfortable at having their wishes “represented” for them: Haaland’s camp moved quickly to distance itself, while the club held the line on contract and brand integrity. In the short term, whether legal proceedings will be launched remains to be seen, but the club’s stance has pushed the story from gossip into a compliance dispute.
Rodri’s Name Back on the Campaign Shortlist
Riquelme did not stop at Haaland. He also said he would do everything possible to sign Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder Rodri, claiming he had spoken with the player’s agent and would do “everything possible” to bring this Ballon d’Or winner to Madrid. Rodri and Haaland are both key pieces in City’s title-chasing squad; at international level, Spain are ranked second in the FIFA rankings with 1,876.40 points, down one place from the previous edition but still among Europe’s elite. Writing both active City stars into election pledges further underscores the “transfer slogan war” flavour of this campaign.
Questions, Pressure and What to Watch Next
The real question is whether a presidential candidate can trade shirt photos and transfer pledges for votes without authorization from the club or the player. For Manchester City, Haaland is one of the emblematic figures at the Etihad Stadium (capacity 55,097); for Real Madrid, the member politics behind the Bernabéu (capacity 85,454) urgently need a morale boost. Riquelme has tied transfer priorities to his election prospects, amplifying the media noise but also magnifying the risk of litigation and reputational blowback—if the promises cannot be delivered, the damage will not be limited to the candidate himself.
Sunday’s vote will determine whether this “Haaland + Rodri” narrative enters the Real Madrid boardroom agenda. Before that, the more realistic focus is on whether Manchester City will formally file suit, whether Haaland’s camp will continue to clarify, and how the Pérez camp will respond to rivals’ televised campaign stunts. For Premier League fans, Haaland’s future should still come down to contract and sporting facts—not a name on Spanish television.
From a career-narrative standpoint, Haaland is once again at the centre of the storm, but the power to change course still rests with him and Manchester City: he already made his choice in 2022, and the long-term extension in 2025 has pushed “one day at Real Madrid” from an immediate cliffhanger into a long-range storyline. Elections can make headlines, but they can hardly replace what is written in black and white in the contract.
