Erling Haaland has 'secret' Man City contract clause that could see him join Real Madrid for bargain price

Real Madrid could turn to Erling Haaland as a potential Kylian Mbappe alternative as a hidden clause in the Norwegian's contract was revealed.

It is no secret that Real Madrid are searching for their next Galactico and Kylian Mbappe has been the most frequent name mentioned in the conversation.

It has felt like the Frenchman has been one step away from joining the Spanish club for years now but contract complications have meant the deal has never quite got over the line.

Recent reports have again stated that Mbappe is set to join Madrid this summer, but nothing 100% concrete has been confirmed up to this point.

If Real Madrid's pursuit of the PSG star fails yet again, Erling Haaland's situation at Manchester City could be a very interesting one to monitor.

Haaland's current deal with City runs until 2027 and reportedly includes a £170 million release clause that will be active from this summer.

However, Spanish outlet AS have claimed that the release clause that would apply to foreign clubs is a lot closer to the £85 million mark, making Haaland available for a considerably cheaper price for the likes of Madrid.

AS also reports that due to the bargain price tag, Madrid could be tempted to pull off a double move and bring both Mbappe and Haaland to the Bernabeu this summer.

A transfer window of this magnitude would not be out of the ordinary for Real Madrid, with the club signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Karim Benzema in the same window in 2009.

Haaland adapted to life at Manchester City like a duck to water last season, winning the treble and breaking the Premier League scoring record at his first attempt.

This incredible achievement could actually benefit Real Madrid if they were to pursue the forward, as despite only being at the club for one full season, he has already won every trophy on offer to him apart from the Carabao Cup.

Getty Images)

Notably, the striker's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, has a very good relationship with Real Madrid.

When questioned on his client's future in November, Pimenta stated: "Will he sign for Madrid? You should ask Madrid that."

This could be interpreted that the ball is completely in Madrid's court, with personal terms understood not to be an issue for the Premier League's current joint-top scorer.

As much as Pep Guardiola won't want to lose his talisman so early, the rumoured release clause may take matters completely out of Manchester City's hands.

Topics: Manchester City, Erling Haaland, Real Madrid, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Kylian Mbappe

Tom Jenkins

Tom Jenkins is a Social Editor and Journalist for SPORTBible. Specialises in Football and F1 but has experience covering a variety of sports such as MMA, Boxing and Cricket. Suffers weekly as an Evertonian.

@tomjenkns