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Man City Mulls Lawsuit Over False Haaland Transfer Claim

6/5/2026

23 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Manchester City is considering legal action after candidate Enrique Riquelme promised Erling Haaland a transfer and showed a “Haaland 9” shirt.
Manchester City said there is no chance of Haaland moving, his contract has no release clause and runs until 2034.
The club added it is exploring legal avenues over the unauthorised use of Haaland’s image.
Alfie Haaland and agent Rafaela Pimenta called the claims entertaining but not true.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Bosman ruling by the European Court of Justice ended transfer fees for out-of-contract EU players, enabling moves such as Edgar Davids’s 1996 switch to Milan and Steve McManaman’s 1999 free transfer to Real Madrid. That freedom underpins today’s disputes, as Manchester City fights unauthorized “Haaland 9” shirts and potential image-right claims linked to its €200 million-valued contract with Erling Haaland.

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Story summary

Manchester City is considering legal action after candidate Enrique Riquelme promised Erling Haaland a transfer and showed a “Haaland 9” shirt.
Manchester City said there is no chance of Haaland moving, his contract has no release clause and runs until 2034.
The club added it is exploring legal avenues over the unauthorised use of Haaland’s image.
Alfie Haaland and agent Rafaela Pimenta called the claims entertaining but not true.

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