Borussia Dortmund president risks wrath of Man City with Erling Haaland comments

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Erling Haaland WILL be playing for Real Madrid in three years, a prominent Borussia Dortmund chief has claimed. The Manchester City forward has found himself at the centre of serious speculation over the last few days.

Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme promised to take the Norwegian forward to the Bernabeu should he be elected.

Speaking on Spanish TV, he said: "If I break my promises regarding either of these players, I've signed a guarantee where I'd pay 100 per cent of membership costs for next season. Haaland has a release clause, and he wants to come to Madrid."

Dortmund president Hans Joachim Watzke has now given his take on the situation and claimed that he is sure Haaland will end up playing for the Spanish giants in the near future, even if that doesn’t happen next term.

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He said: “I know very well what he (Haaland) thinks, and I can say that he certainly admires Real Madrid and would like to play for them in the future, but next season he will continue playing for Manchester City. Without a doubt.

“He loves Real Madrid and he doesn't hide it. I think he'll be playing there in two or three years, but not that soon. He hasn't committed to anyone as his father has said.”

Haaland only signed a new nine-and-a-half year contract with Man City in January last year, with that deal due to run until 2034. The Premier League side released a statement in the aftermath of Riquelme’s claims and confirmed they were considering legal action.

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It read: “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.”

Meanwhile, his agent Rafaela Pimenta and his dad Alfie Haaland also suggested that there was no truth to the rumours. A statement read: "All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Madrid elections".

Riquelme has since spoken out on Haaland once again and claimed that if he wins Sunday’s election, talks with Haaland’s camp will start immediately. He said: “It's normal, it's an election, there are two candidates no one is guaranteed to win, and they have to protect the player. Starting Monday, we'll talk, we'll sit down to talk with them.”