Will Haaland leave if Man City gets relegated to the Championship?

This month has arguably been the most difficult in Manchester City's history since the club's founding; the "Sky Blues" have been formally charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League's Financial Fair Play regulations.

Although the club has appealed the committee's decision, its reputation has undoubtedly suffered, significantly impacting the entire sports organization—as revealed by GiveMeSport.

As things stand, City sit proudly at the summit of the Premier League, having swept aside all five of their opening opponents. Yet with news shaking English football to its very foundations, all eyes will be on whether — and in what manner — the landscape shifts once the international break comes to an end.

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Will Haaland's future at Manchester City be affected?

Word has come from journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking on The TEAMtalk podcast, that Erling Haaland and those around him have quietly circled the summer of 2027 as the moment to part ways with Manchester City — and crucially, that plan holds firm whether or not the club suffers relegation from the Premier League.

As Bailey put it: "Our understanding is that the timeline - irrespective of a City relegation - was that Haaland and his camp were looking at 2027 [for a transfer], because that's a down year in between big competitions."

For now, the Norwegian striker is away from the noise of club speculation, currently on international duty with Norway, while the football world waits to see how this carefully plotted timeline unfolds.

What is Haaland's preferred destination after City?

Arsenal would, in all likelihood, be counted among the clubs ready to pounce if Haaland ever became available. Yet the smart money points elsewhere — specifically, toward one of Spain's two heavyweight institutions.

Bailey elaborated: "I was told by an Arsenal source [that] clearly if a player like Haaland comes on the market - as they are one of the biggest clubs in Europe - they're going to be interested.

"And obviously, as we know, they're looking for a striker. They spent all summer trying to sign Julian Alvarez, so arguably, they've got the money as well, if they're going to do it.

"But my understanding is that Erling Haaland wants to go to Spain. Primarily, we're talking Real Madrid and Barcelona."

All of this, of course, unfolds while the Norwegian frontman remains focused on his duties with the Norway national team, with the speculation over his club future continuing to simmer in the background.

Hazem Mlhem |

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Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

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Manchester City

English Premier League