Erling Haaland gives answer on leaving Man City if they are relegated revealed after Barcelona meeting
According to reports, Erling Haaland has already informed Barcelona that he has ‘no intention’ of staying at Manchester City if they are relegated.
Haaland is among Man City’s players who could leave if Premier League club are relegated because of their FFP case.
On Friday afternoon, it was widely reported that Man City have been found guilty of 114 of their 115 charges after being accused of breaching the Premier League’s FFP rules.
Man City and the Premier League are yet to say whether a verdict has been reached, but the club will face huge sanctions if the case goes against them to such a significant degree and an appeal fails.
Should Man City ultimately face sanctions for 114 rule breaches, the potential punishments would range from a fine, transfer ban, points deduction, expulsion and/or being stripped of their Premier League titles.
READ: Liverpool ‘worst fears realised’ as fallout from Man City FFP verdict leads to Haaland ‘U-turn’
As mentioned, another consequence of relegation would be the loss of several key players, with Haaland presumably to be among those to leave if their punishment is that severe.
Still, one positive for Man City is that our colleagues at TEAMtalk have reported that their players do not have release clauses in their contracts to protect them from relegation.
The report claims:
‘Reports have continued to circulate claiming that some Man City players, including Haaland, have clauses in their contracts that could be triggered by relegation.
‘However, sources at Man City have reiterated to us that no such clauses exist, either for Haaland or other members of the squad.’
Erling Haaland gives ‘answer’ to FC Barcelona
With Haaland under contract until 2034, it could still take a significant investment to lure him from Man City even if they are relegated, but a report from Spanish outlet Nacional claims Barcelona are laying the groundwork to sign him.
READ MORE: Why only Premier League expulsion or ten-year transfer ban will work on ‘cheating’ Man City
Barcelona reportedly ‘want to be first if the opportunity arises’ to sign Haaland, and they have reportedly held a ‘one-hour meeting’ with his representatives to gauge their interest in a move to the Spanish giants.
And the report claims Haaland has made it clear that he does not want to play at a level below the Premier League and would leave Man City if they are relegated.
The report claims:
‘Barça wants to be prepared if Erling Haaland becomes available in 2027. The sporting director held an approximately one-hour meeting with the striker’s representatives to understand his stance should Manchester City be relegated due to their issues with the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play regulations. The answer that interests Barcelona is clear: the Norwegian has no intention of playing in the Second Division.
‘That doesn’t mean Haaland could leave Manchester automatically. There’s no clause that would allow him to leave for free simply due to relegation, so any departure would force Barça to negotiate a transfer with City. However, such an exceptional scenario would greatly weaken City’s negotiating position and could turn a currently impossible deal into a much more attainable opportunity.’
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