Erling Haaland has committed the vast majority of the rest of his career to Manchester City after signing a contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2034

Erling Haaland has signed an extraordinary nine-and-a-half year contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2034.

Haaland joined City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022, with that original deal set to expire at the end of the 2026/2027 season. He has now inked a bumper new deal though, which will see him remain at the Etihad Stadium until he is 34.

The Norwegian has emerged as one of the top strikers in Europe since his arrival. He has scored an incredible 111 goals in 126 games and lifted two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League and a Super Cup.

While it has been a more difficult campaign for both City and Haaland, the top-flight giants have moved to tie him down for the long-term. The 24-year-old has been frequently linked with a move to Real Madrid ever since his time at Dortmund.

But if the La Liga leaders still want to bring him to the Bernabeu, they will have to do it the hard way. According to The Athletic, Haaland’s new deal has seen the release clause in his current contract removed.

It is claimed that while the precise numbers are currently unclear, his bumper deal is understood to be among the most lucrative sporting contracts ever. Though he has been linked with an exit, Haaland is known to be extremely happy living in Manchester.

Haaland is said to enjoy an excellent relationship with Guardiola, the coaching staff, team-mates and the club’s hierarchy. It is claimed he has settled in the local area after recently moving house and becoming a parent.

It has been a challenging campaign for both City and Haaland, though the striker has still scored 21 goals in all competitions. And Guardiola remains a big fan of his star striker.

“It’s about [all of] us, not just one player,” Guardiola said when asked about Haaland’s struggles at Christmas. “When in the past we scored goals and Erling was so prolific, helping us, it was because of the team. When you have problems at the back, in the middle, it is for everyone, it is a team, it is not about one player.

“It would be easy if it was just one person, the reason why. It’s not about that. Erling is so important for us, will be so important for us, has been. [We have to] try to do things better, to use him better. In this situation, the tendency for all of us [is to say]: ‘The reason why is this one, and this one and this one.

“So it’s about us, about everyone. The guys are running, making more effort than ever. All the tendency [to explain this is]: ‘It’s because we don’t run, because we don’t fight, the reason why is this situation or this player or this manager.’

“It’s not about that. It’s many little details or big details that make us all together not as good as we were. But we have another opportunity on Boxing Day to try and win, time for the players to come back, and the uncertain time will be better.”

Mirror UK