Real Madrid contact representatives of Manchester City superstar ahead of 2026 transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City could not be witnessing the early stages of a transfer pursuit from Real Madrid in one of their primary superstar players, according to reports.

The Spanish giants have long been linked with Erling Haaland ever since the Norwegian striker first exploded onto the European stage during his Borussia Dortmund days. While Madrid ultimately lost out, there has remained an unshakable belief at the Santiago Bernabéu that Haaland may be the final piece in their long-term attacking project.

Haaland’s impact since joining Pep Guardiola’s City in 2022 has been nothing short of extraordinary, breaking numerous scoring records, claiming a historic treble in his debut campaign, and establishing himself as the focal point of City’s success.

Most recently, Haaland added a fourth Premier League Player of the Month award to his growing collection after a stunning September that saw him score five league goals and surpass 130 for the club overall.

However, despite his dominance in England, speculation around Haaland’s future continues to resurface – often linked to the idea that the forward may eventually test himself in La Liga, a competition both his agent and father have spoken fondly of in the past.

According to a new report from CaughtOffside’s Mark Brus, Real Madrid have been in touch with Haaland’s representatives to assess the possibility of a transfer for the Manchester City striker.

Given the Norwegian’s lengthy contract running until the summer of 2034, City obviously do not want to sell, while Erling Haaland himself is also not pushing to leave the Etihad Stadium at present.

The report insists that despite those factors, Real Madrid are not likely to give up on their ambitious target, but would ‘surely need crazy money’ to convince Manchester City to sell and require the player to push for a switch.

This is not the first time Los Blancos have sounded out Haaland’s camp, with some believing that informal interest from Real Madrid has been ongoing since his debut Premier League season.

The belief within the Etihad Stadium hierarchy is that Erling Haaland remains fully focused on his Manchester City project and on continuing to develop under Pep Guardiola’s system, despite the Catalan coach into his final two seasons of contract.

Nevertheless, City could find themselves under pressure if Erling Haaland’s camp begins to entertain new challenges. The forward has already spoken about his desire to “keep working and improving every day,” but with Los Blancos known for their persistence, future negotiations may test even City’s financial resolve.

For now, Haaland remains central to everything City are building – both on the pitch and commercially – and the club are relaxed about his situation. But if Real Madrid’s move proves to be the start of a long-term effort, Guardiola and Hugo Viana may soon be preparing for a defining chapter in the transfer saga of Europe’s most in-demand striker.