“He loves the club” – Pep Guardiola breaks silence on Erling Haaland’s new 10-year Manchester City contract | OneFootball

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has reacted to official confirmation of Erling Haaland’s brand new 10-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

The Norway international striker stunned many within the game on Friday morning after it was announced by the reigning Premier League champions that the 24-year-old striker had extended his stay with the club until the summer of 2034.

In a clear act of faith and trust put into the former Borussia Dortmund star as a direct result of his record-breaking performances for Manchester City since arriving in 2022, Haaland has also seen his salary increase to reflect his contributions.

Now, speaking during a pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of City’s upcoming Premier League clash with Ipswich Town on Sunday, manager Pep Guardiola issued a firm belief that unbreakable records could be set by Haaland in the next 10 years.

“If he continues with the numbers since he arrived, yeah [his records will never be beaten]. But it will depend on the team, him as well. But it’s exceptional news for all of us, the club,” said Guardiola.

“When one player decides to sign this type of contract never done before it’s because he wants to show how desperately he wants to be here… I don’t have the feeling that he’s a guy with a contract who says, ‘Now I have this I’m going to take a nap’. It’s not going to happen.

“He loves to play, a huge competitor, but at the same time he as the ability to get away from good moments and bad moments immediately. His mindset is really good to forget what happened, and think about the next.”

When asked why Haaland may have opted to commit his long-term future to Manchester City, amid concerns throughout his time at the club that a move to La Liga could be tempting in the near future, Guardiola issued a light-hearted response followed by some serious talk.

“He comes from Norway; I think maybe the weather here [in Manchester] is better,” the City head coach joked.

“He settled perfectly, and I think what happened is because he loves the club, the people he is around, he loves the Premier League, he loves to be here with his wife and now he’s a father.

“So I think he visualised that there is no better place that he could be right now in the next 10 years. And that’s why he and his family decided to do this step.”

But why have Manchester City gone to such great lengths to ensure that their long-term future has Erling Haaland in the picture? The answer is simple for Pep Guardiola, who said, “To find a player like Erling is so difficult to find.

“Once we have it, why don’t we make the effort to keep him, and the club made a huge effort to have him and they decided!”

Erling Haaland’s first opportunity to get the next phase of his Manchester City career off to the best possible start will come at Portman Road on Sunday afternoon, when he and his teammates will face off against Ipswich Town in the Premier League.