Erling Haaland’s agent has claimed she “couldn’t leverage” Manchester City during contract negotiations to extend the Norwegian’s deal because they “don’t really need anything.”
The 25-year-old striker has proven to be an inspired signing since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. Haaland has netted 160 goals in 195 appearances in all competitions. Unsurprisingly, Haaland has since been linked with moves elsewhere, with Real Madrid among those reportedly interested.
But last season, Haaland signed a new deal with City to keep him in Manchester until 2034, as per The Mirror. Providing an insight into the negotiations ahead of Haaland putting pen to paper on that contract, his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, has confirmed that City were always in control.
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Speaking to ESPN, she said: “Very serious, they’re [City] very organized. They’re very big. They know what they’re doing, they have a lot of experience, they don’t really need anything, they have everything. So we don’t have any leverage.
“He’s a lot like us [football agents],” Pimenta added about Haaland himself. “In his way of being — it’s very informal, very comfortable, very relaxed, very low profile … Football, for him, is the most serious game you can play.
“I think people often have the impression that the football player’s job is easier than it actually is. I often say that high-performance football players have to be very intelligent, so don’t underestimate the intelligence of those at the top of the pyramid. He has to be very dedicated,” she added.
While Haaland is anticipated to remain with his current club for the foreseeable future, that may not be the case for several other players. The summer transfer window is set to open in just a matter of weeks, though the World Cup could have an impact on the market.
“Look, it’s hard for me to say that without causing gossip. I’m talking from my head without having any information,” Pimenta said when pressed on how significantly the tournament could affect proceedings.
“I think Liverpool will make a lot of moves. Ajax we already know that it is making a lot of moves, everyone knows that. It is an important club, although it is certainly not a big club like Real Madrid and Barcelona.”