Manchester City Consider Legal Action Against Riquelme Over Haaland Claims
Manchester City are weighing up legal action against Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme after an extraordinary TV stunt in which he brandished a Madrid shirt with Erling Haaland’s name on the back and claimed he could sign the striker if elected.
The businessman, who will go head to head with Florentino Pérez in Sunday’s presidential vote, used a prime-time appearance on El Hormiguero to set out his boldest promise: Haaland to the Bernabéu, courtesy of a supposed clause in the Norwegian’s contract.
“Haaland has a release clause and he wants to come to Madrid,” Riquelme declared, holding up the shirt as if unveiling a new signing rather than pitching for office.
City did not take long to hit back. On Thursday, the club issued a sharply worded statement dismissing the claims and threatening to escalate the matter.
“The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”
No nuance. No room for interpretation. City framed Riquelme’s comments as fantasy and took particular exception to the use of Haaland’s image in what is, essentially, an election campaign.
Haaland, who signed a record nine-and-a-half-year deal in January 2025, sits at the heart of City’s long-term project. The idea that he could be prised away by a presidential pledge was always going to provoke a fierce response in Manchester.
The player’s own camp swiftly lined up alongside the club. His father, Alfie Haaland, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, poured cold water on the claims with a short, pointed statement.
“All very entertaining but not true,” they said. “We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.”
Riquelme, though, did not stop at Haaland. He went further, promising to raid City again by targeting Rodri, the midfield metronome who has become one of the most influential players in world football.
“Regarding Rodri, he’s a top player, a Ballon d’Or winner in a position where Madrid needs to strengthen. If I become president, Rodri will play for Real Madrid, with all due respect to City.”
It was the language of certainty, not ambition. For a challenger without presidential experience, Riquelme knows he needs spectacle. So he attached a guarantee to his words, one designed to grab every Madrid socio’s attention.
“I don’t have the track record of Florentino – I’ve never been president. That’s why I’m committing myself to the two players I’ve announced, backed by a personal notarised guarantee. If I fail to deliver, I will pay 100% of the annual dues of Madrid’s 100,000 members.”
It is a dramatic pledge, bordering on the theatrical, but it lands at a delicate moment for City. Pep Guardiola is leaving after a decade of unprecedented success, and any change at the top of a dynasty invites speculation over what comes next.
Rodri himself has already acknowledged that context. Speaking on Monday, the 29-year-old, whose contract runs out next summer, struck a calm but intriguing tone.
“I’m very calm, I know exactly where I stand, and I’ll tell you that perhaps if there hadn’t been a World Cup, things might be different.”
No transfer demand. No farewell message. Yet in an era where every word is dissected, that hint of an alternative timeline will not go unnoticed in Madrid or Manchester.
While the political theatre plays out in Spain, City’s recruitment machine continues to whir. The club have already moved on one front, lodging an opening bid for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.
Forest rejected that first offer. Their owner, Evangelos Marinakis, is understood to value the 23-year-old at around £100m – the same figure City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in August 2021 and a potential record outgoing for Forest.
Hugo Viana, City’s sporting director, is expected to return with an improved proposal. City rarely walk away from a priority target without a serious push, and Anderson’s profile fits the club’s evolving core: young, technically sharp, and already battle-tested.
The timing is no coincidence. Anderson is in line to start for England in their opening World Cup game against Croatia on 17 June. A strong tournament would only harden Forest’s stance and inflate the market.
So City find themselves fighting on two fronts. In Spain, they are pushing back against what they see as opportunistic electioneering at their expense. At home, they are trying to secure the next wave of talent while holding on to the pillars of an era.
Haaland’s future, City insist, is locked in. Rodri’s situation is more nuanced, his contract ticking down as Europe’s biggest clubs watch for any sign of hesitation.
Riquelme has gambled his campaign on the idea that both can be prised away. City’s response, both legal and sporting, will help decide whether that gamble looks visionary in Madrid – or wildly naive from Manchester.
