Real Madrid to ‘take advantage’ of Haaland, Pep ‘tension’ with City relationship ‘not in a good place’
There is tension between Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland with Real Madrid ready to ‘take advantage’, according to reports.
Haaland has been linked with Los Blancos throughout his entire City career after the Premier League club won the race for his signature last year.
He has scored a fair few goals in his time in England, comfortably cementing himself as the most lethal striker in world football.
Currently the top scorer for 2023, the Norwegian international has scored 69 goals in 71 appearances under Guardiola.
Talk of a move to Madrid comes and goes, but it is a bit of a hot topic at this moment in time.
READ MORE: The ridiculous stats of award-winning Erling Haaland: more all-time PL goals than three clubs
A recent report from Spanish outlet AS said Haaland will have a €200million release clause become active at the end of the season and the La Liga giants are ‘always present’.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is another player being furiously linked with a move to the Spanish capital, though it has been reported that Madrid have stepped back in their pursuit of the France captain – who is out of contract in 2024.
Prising Haaland away from the Etihad is going to be tricky for any team but Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda (via Bernabeu Digital, c/o Sport Witness) has claimed there is some ‘tension’ between the player and City boss Guardiola.
“They tell me from the player’s entourage that there has been a certain disagreement with Guardiola since before the Ballon d’Or gala,” Inda claimed.
“Pep grandly praised Messi, saying that his worst season ‘Leo coincided with the best of Haaland.’
“(He) praised both of them, but he put in that phrase and Haaland was not amused. There is a certain distance from the coach. The relationship is not in a good moment. What you have to say is that the Ballon d’Or has to go to your star and not Leo Messi.”
The report claims that Madrid are ready to ‘take advantage’ of the situation with said ‘tension’ bringing them ‘closer’ to the former Borussia Dortmund striker.
It would be fair to take that part with a pinch of salt as Bernabeu Digital is a Real Madrid fan site, so, as Sport Witness says, they are ‘going to put a positive spin on it from their own club’s perspective’.
Haaland is currently on international duty with Norway. He picked up an ankle knock in Thursday’s friendly win over the Faroe Islands.
Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand has admitted that Haaland’s ankle is “a bit vulnerable” after he suffered a similar knock against Bournemouth earlier this month.
