Understandably, news of a release clause in Erling Haaland's contract with Manchester City has caused unease amongst the Blues faithful – but it does not necessarily mean the player is guaranteed to leave after a short stint.
Simply put: should Haaland feel comfortable at the club, he will stay at the club.
The likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero probably did not expect to complete a decade in East Manchester – and the majority of people would have expected the pair to move back to Spain during their peak years when they signed. They didn't, as they ultimately fell in love with the club and the city.
The latter, in particular, had been subject to concrete interest from Spain's two biggest clubs – and yet, today has been immortalised outside the Etihad for his legendary contribution over a ten-year period, alongside Silva – who became the club's captain in his tenth and final season in England.
Pep Guardiola is the latest case in point, who has admitted to Sky Sports that he could manage City for a further ten years providing he and his players remain aligned for the remainder of his current deal. The Catalan will be heading into his seventh year at the club next season, having only stayed four and three seasons at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively.
With or without a release clause, were Haaland to request a move, City would not stand in his way – demonstrated clearly by Leroy Sane moving to Bayern Munich in 2020 and Ferran Torres to Barcelona earlier this year. Both players wanted to move on, and the club facilitated their movement.
What a release clause does do is protect the club's investment, as they can point towards the fee stipulated in the contract if the player does want to move on – allowing for appropriate reinvestment. And for the player, it ensures they are not bound by lengthy a contract should the situation at any given place change – case in point Harry Kane, who wanted to leave Tottenham last summer but couldn't as he was bound by the long-term deal he signed in 2018, with Daniel Levy unwilling to sell his talisman. The inclusion of a release clause, therefore, makes sense for both parties – particularly the Haalands.
While Haaland may harbour dreams of playing in Spain one day, we are in no position to know what he would like to do a few years from now. What we know for sure, however, is that he will play for the current Premier League champions – owing to an emotional connection to the club dating back to 2000, as well as the club having the most attractive sporting project in all of football.
Haaland's heart is evidently set in Manchester at the moment, and we as fans should enjoy the years to come, without thinking too far into the future, as our club prepares the arrival of one of the greatest talents in a generation to pair with the best manager in the world and some of the finest players we have ever had the pleasure of watching.
Written by: @NA1907_