Pep Guardiola issues transfer demand to Erling Haaland

Cameron Smith

• 27 Feb 2026 04:15 CST
• 3 min read

News

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has told Erling Haaland to end transfer talks with Real Madrid, according to a sensational report in Spain.

Haaland signed a lucrative new long-term deal at the Etihad Stadium until 2034 last year, but he continues to be linked with a blockbuster move to La Liga amid significant interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The El Clasico giants view him as the perfect signing for 2026, with the former keen to land a replacement for the ageing Robert Lewandowski and the latter eager to bolster their forward line with an out-and-out number nine.

Real Madrid are expected to pursue a deal for the Norway international if Vinicius Junior is sold to the Saudi Pro League this summer, and rumours have suggested that Haaland’s representatives are already in discussions with Los Blancos.

However, Guardiola has now intervened and urged Haaland’s camp to end talks with Real Madrid in order to ensure the 25-year-old’s focus remains on collecting silverware this season.

That is according to a report from Spanish publication El Nacional, who claim that Real Madrid are set to explore the possibility of bringing Haaland to the Bernabeu this summer.

Analysis: Will Erling Haaland join Real Madrid?

While Real Madrid are keen to finalise a deal for Haaland later this year, an agreement will be extremely difficult to negotiate given his current contract situation at Man City.

The Norway superstar will still have eight years remaining on his deal this summer and although his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at €150.9 million, Real Madrid would likely be required to pay a world record fee to land the 25-year-old.

Haaland has scored 29 goals and provided seven assists in 38 matches across all competitions for Man City so far this season, and he will be instrumental in their bid to reclaim the Premier League title during the final stretch of the campaign.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store