Man City's Boss Pep Guardiola Reacts As Erling Haaland Signs Record-Breaking 9½-Year Contract With The Club.

• Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola reacts to the news that talisman Erling Haaland has signed a new nine-and-half year contract which will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2034.

• Haaland’s contract surpasses the nine-year deal Chelsea handed Cole Palmer in August 2024, making it the longest in Premier League history.

Haaland, who joined Man City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, will be 34 if he sees the new contract through. His previous deal was due to expire in 2027.

City signed Haaland on a five-year contract for £51m by paying his release clause to the German Bundesliga club in a deal that was expected to rise to £85.5m in total when agent fees, signing bonus and other costs were taken into account.

The announcement of his contract extension by the Premier League champions on Friday, will see Haaland paid a reported £500,000 per week, making him the club's highest earner.

It is also understood the contract has no release clauses in it, which means any previous ones have been removed.

 

This is a huge boost for the club amid a frustrating season in which they have fallen off the pace in the title race.

The defending champions are 12 points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League table, having played an extra game than the Reds.

It also comes at a time of uncertainty as City await a verdict following an independent commission hearing into more than 100 charges related to alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.

The club, which could face a huge sanction if found guilty, have denied the charges levelled against them.

Guardiola said at a press conference that he could scarcely believe the news: "I said, 'Can you repeat?' And he said to me (10 years). I said, 'Sure?' and he said, 'Yes'. So, good news. That means a lot."

"It's proof of confidence and trust for the club, it's the trust for the club to Erling, because you never know what can happen in the next years.

"But the club knows perfectly how professional he is and his commitment in every single game and every single day to show his talent.

"Of course for him, in 10 years, you never know what's going to happen. It's a long, long time and always in the short careers, you have to say, 'OK, we'll see what happens'.

"He proved what he wanted and the trust was with the club."

Guardiola who also recently In November extended his contract to remain at the club until 2027, was also asked if the long deal was to protect Haaland’s value.

He replied: “What happens in this kind of situation, he feels it.

“He feels that for him it is the right move for his career and of course he is a special player.

“The cub made a huge effort to have him and he decided on it.

“Erling wouldn’t have signed it if he didn’t imagine being here in 10 years. Both the club and Erling decided it.”

Haaland has scored 111 goals in 126 games since joining City

The 24-year-old scored 10 goals in the first five Premier League games of this season, including back-to-back hat-tricks, but has bagged only six more in the 16 league matches since. He sits second behind Mo Salah, who has 18 goals, in the top-scorers chart.

He has lifted two Premier League titles, the Champions League, an FA Cup and a Super Cup in his two-and-a-half seasons with Man City.