Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme announced on June 3 that he intends to sign Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and midfielder Rodri if elected president. Riquelme said Haaland has a release clause allowing a transfer to Real Madrid and that the player wants to join the club. "He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid," Riquelme said on Spanish television [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Manchester City and Haaland’s representatives strongly denied the claims. A Manchester City spokesperson stated the stories are untrue, saying, "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." Haaland’s agent and father also called the claims "entertaining but not true," wishing the candidates well in the election [1, 3].
Riquelme also pledged to sign Rodri from Manchester City, saying, "Rodri is a great player, in a position where Madrid need to strengthen. We've spoken to his agent, but if I'm president he will play for Madrid. I'll do everything possible." He stressed he will respect Rodri’s current contract with City but intends to negotiate [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
The dispute has escalated with Manchester City considering legal action against Riquelme for making false claims and using Haaland’s image without permission [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Meanwhile, Real Madrid incumbent president Florentino Perez confirmed on June 3 that he will bring back Jose Mourinho as manager if he wins re-election. "Jose Mourinho will return to manage Real Madrid if I win the club's presidential election on Sunday," Perez said [9, 10, 11, 12, 8].
The Real Madrid presidential election is scheduled for Sunday, June 7, with approximately 100,000 club members eligible to vote. Riquelme and Perez are the main candidates [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8].
Haaland signed a new 9.5-year contract with Manchester City in January 2025, underscoring the club’s commitment to the player despite Riquelme’s claims [2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The election outcome will determine Madrid’s next leadership and potential transfer strategies.
