-
Haaland’s contract under scrutiny: The Manchester City striker’s long-term deal reportedly contains no automatic release clause allowing him to leave if the club is relegated.
-
City face major uncertainty: An independent panel has reportedly found Manchester City guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League financial charges brought against the club.
-
Punishment is still pending: City have not yet been handed a sanction and are expected to appeal, with penalties potentially ranging from a fine or points deduction to relegation.
-
Haaland’s future could become a major storyline: The Norway international signed a contract keeping him at the Etihad until 2034, meaning a severe punishment could create an unusual situation for one of football’s most valuable players.
September 26, (THEWILL) – Erling Haaland’s nine-year Manchester City contract is suddenly attracting almost as much attention as the club’s unprecedented financial case.
Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League financial charges brought against them, leaving the club facing potentially serious consequences once a final punishment is determined.
And while the immediate focus is on what sanctions could await City, another question has quickly emerged: what happens to Haaland if the worst-case scenario is relegation?
According to reports cited by Spanish outlet SPORT, the Norway international’s contract does not contain a specific relegation release clause that would automatically allow him to walk away from Manchester City should the club be demoted.
That detail could become significant if the Premier League eventually imposes one of the most severe punishments available.
Haaland remains one of the most valuable players in world football, and his future would inevitably become a major talking point if City were forced out of the Premier League.
Haaland’s £260m Manchester City contract
Haaland committed his long-term future to Manchester City in January 2025 when he signed a new nine-and-a-half-year contract that runs until 2034.
The agreement was reported to be worth around £260 million, with a basic salary of approximately £500,000 per week.
At the time, the contract represented City’s determination to build their next era around a striker who had already established himself as one of the most prolific forwards in European football.
But the length of the agreement now gives the current situation an unusual dimension.
If City were relegated, Haaland would not simply be entering the final year of a short-term deal. He would still have several years remaining on one of the biggest contracts in the club’s history.
And according to the reports surrounding his contract, there is no specific clause that automatically releases him from that commitment in the event of relegation.
That does not necessarily mean Haaland would be forced to remain at City if the club were demoted.
It means only that relegation would not apparently trigger an automatic exit mechanism in his contract.
READ ALSO:
Manchester City await punishment after 114 guilty verdicts
The contractual issue has emerged after reports that an independent panel found City guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club by the Premier League.
The charges relate largely to alleged failures to provide accurate financial information, remuneration details and other financial information between 2009 and 2018, as well as alleged failures to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.
The club has consistently denied wrongdoing.
City’s position remained unchanged after the reported verdict, with the club saying the Premier League process was still ongoing and that significant elements remained to be completed.
The club is also expected to appeal.
No final sporting punishment has yet been announced.
That distinction is crucial because relegation remains a possible consequence being discussed, rather than a confirmed sanction.
Other potential punishments include a points deduction, financial penalties and the stripping of titles, although the eventual decision will determine the actual consequences for City.
The severity of the punishment could therefore have a major bearing on the future of the club’s current squad.
What would happen to Haaland if City were relegated?
Haaland’s situation could become particularly fascinating because of his importance to Manchester City’s sporting project.
Since joining the club, the striker has become the focal point of their attack and one of the defining players of the Premier League era.
A relegation would almost certainly trigger questions over whether City’s biggest stars would remain.
But Haaland’s reported contractual position makes his case different from that of a player who has a clearly defined relegation escape clause.
Rather than automatically becoming a free agent or being able to activate a pre-agreed exit mechanism, Haaland could potentially remain contractually tied to City unless another route to a transfer was negotiated.
That could leave Manchester City facing an enormous decision.
Would the club attempt to retain its most valuable asset and build around him outside the Premier League?
Or would a severe sporting punishment make a transfer the most logical financial solution, particularly given the player’s enormous market value?
For now, those remain hypothetical questions.
There is no indication that Haaland has requested a transfer, nor has there been any confirmation that Manchester City intend to sell him.
The timing could hardly be more significant.
The verdict comes at a particularly complicated moment for Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola has departed after a decade in charge, while former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has taken over as the club begins a new era.
Haaland, meanwhile, remains central to the team’s plans.
City have continued to compete at the highest level despite the uncertainty surrounding the financial case, and the striker recently scored the only goal in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Manchester derby.
That victory was another reminder of the footballing power City still possess.
But the financial case now hangs over everything.
The Premier League charges were first brought in February 2023 following a lengthy investigation into alleged financial breaches dating back to the period between 2009 and 2018.
The independent hearing eventually concluded, but the outcome has taken years to emerge. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters acknowledged in August that the process had taken longer than expected.
Now that a reported verdict has finally arrived, the next stage could prove even more consequential.
Haaland’s contract could become a defining detail
For Manchester City, the immediate priority is the punishment and the appeal process.
For Haaland, the uncertainty is more personal.
The striker signed what was effectively a decade-long commitment to the club, but the circumstances surrounding that agreement have changed dramatically since the deal was announced.
A contract designed to secure Haaland’s future at the Etihad until 2034 could now become one of the most closely examined agreements in football if City receive a severe sanction.
The key point, however, is that no relegation has been confirmed and no decision has been made on Haaland’s future.
What has changed is the context.
Manchester City are facing the most serious financial verdict in their history, with 114 of the 115 reported charges upheld, while their most valuable player appears not to have an automatic relegation escape route in his contract.
Until the Premier League announces the punishment and City’s appeal is resolved, Haaland remains a Manchester City player.
But if relegation ultimately enters the picture, his contract could become one of the most important documents in determining what happens next.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
