With Erling Haaland's agent having revealed the striker could eventually join Real Madrid, no one can blame the Norwegian star for using Manchester City as just a stepping stone.
If the 2023 Ballon d'Or awards are anything to go by, Haaland is the second-best footballer on the planet today, which is a huge feat given that he is only 23 years old. Although some feel he was robbed after the Golden Ball was given to Lionel Messi, it seems clear the Norway international will one day claim the prize, with Messi himself stating this in his acceptance speech during the ceremony last month.
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Haaland's career has reached new heights since joining City in July 2022, having inspired the club to their first-ever UEFA Champions League title and a maiden continental treble. As of Friday, 24 November, the striker has scored 69 goals in 71 appearances since his arrival at the Etihad, averaging a goal every 82 minutes, according to Transfermarkt. Some have even suggested that he could reach Sergio Aguero's all-time club record of 260 goals by the time his current contract expires in 2027.
However, the Norwegian could be gone by then, with his agent Rafaela Pimenta continuing to flirt with the idea of Haaland joining Real Madrid. In March, she revealed that her client is not exempt from the lure of the LALIGA. According to AS, Pimenta said: "There is the Premier League and there is Real Madrid. They have something of their own that makes them the dreams of footballers. Madrid has that magic. They have the Champions League."
While Haaland has gone on to win the Champions League with City, that has not stopped the agent from openly suggesting that her client could be set to join Los Blancos one day. Speaking recently, Pimenta explained, per the Metro: "Erling is the master of own destiny, always. He will always do what's good for him and for Man City. When they all are open to make a change, it will happen. Erling will always be respectful."
This seems to suggest Haaland could be using City as a stepping stone to fulfil a dream of representing Real despite his current club being a major powerhouse in Europe under Pep Guardiola. Some reports in Spain have also suggested that the player is likely to leave Manchester when Guardiola departs in June 2025. It is difficult to imagine the Citizens without the Catalan boss as his tenure not just at the club but in the Premier League has been nothing short of remarkable. Due to the coach's unique skill set, many of those close to the sport have predicted that his departure in the future will have a devastating at the Etihad, similar to Sir Alex Ferguson's exit from Manchester United.
So who would blame some players for jumping ship when Guardiola departs? What is perhaps more important is the point that Pimenta made about Real being an ultimate destination for many big players. The Premier League has been considered the best league in the world for several years now, but despite this, the lure of Real and Barca does not seem to have waned. Eden Hazard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Philippe Coutinho, and more recently Ilkay Gundogan, are just some of the players who have decided to fulfil their dream of playing for the Spanish giants while at the peak of their powers in England.
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This certainly strengthens the argument that Real and Barca are still the holy grail for most world-class footballers and who can blame someone of Haaland's calibre for feeling the same? City seems to be just a step-ladder for this golden talent. While the Premier League and its "Big Six" are commercial giants, at a sporting level, these clubs cannot match the pull, prestige and history of LALIGA's big boys despite the eras of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldinho being long over.
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