Manchester City Prepare Legal Action Against Riquelme's Claims

Manchester City are preparing to fight back – not in a title race, but in a courtroom.

The Premier League champions are considering legal action against Enrique Riquelme after the Real Madrid presidential candidate brandished a Madrid shirt with Erling Haaland’s name on live television and claimed he could sign the striker if elected.

City hit back at Haaland clause claim

Riquelme, challenging Florentino Pérez in Sunday’s Real Madrid presidential elections, went on popular Spanish show El Hormiguero and laid out his headline promise: Erling Haaland in white.

“Haaland has a release clause and he wants to come to Madrid,” Riquelme declared, holding up the customised shirt. He insisted that a clause in the Norwegian’s contract would allow Madrid to prise him away from Manchester if he wins the vote.

The problem for Riquelme is that City say none of it is true.

Haaland signed a record nine-and-a-half-year deal with City in January 2025, a contract designed to lock in the club’s biggest attacking asset for the long term. On Thursday, City issued a sharp, unusually forceful statement.

“The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. 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.”

No ambiguity. No room left for interpretation. City are not only denying the existence of a release clause; they are also taking aim at the use of Haaland’s name and image in an election campaign they did not sign up for.

Haaland camp closes ranks

The response from Haaland’s camp matched the club’s firmness. His father, Alfie Haaland, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, moved quickly to shut down Riquelme’s narrative.

“All very entertaining but not true,” they said. “We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.”

The line was icy and precise. Amusement at the spectacle, zero endorsement of the claims.

For Riquelme, whose campaign has leaned heavily on star-driven promises, it was a direct hit. For City, it was a coordinated show of unity with their marquee striker at a time when outside noise around the post-Pep era is growing louder.

Riquelme doubles down with Rodri promise

If the Haaland pitch sounded bold, the Rodri pledge bordered on audacious.

Riquelme did not stop at the Norwegian. He went after City’s midfield anchor as well, insisting that Rodri – the current Ballon d’Or holder and arguably the most influential midfielder in world football – would also be wearing white if he takes office.

“He’s a top player, a Ballon d’Or winner in a position where Madrid needs to strengthen. If I become president, Rodri will play for Real Madrid, with all due respect to City,” Riquelme said.

Then came the flourish that turned a transfer promise into a campaign stunt.

“I don’t have the track record of Florentino – I’ve never been president. That’s why I’m committing myself to the two players I’ve announced, backed by a personal notarised guarantee. If I fail to deliver, I will pay 100% of the annual dues of Madrid’s 100,000 members.”

It was theatre: a businessman trying to out-muscle an institution by staking his own wealth and credibility on two of City’s most prized assets.

Rodri’s future and the Guardiola question

Behind the noise, there is a real football question: what happens to City’s core now that Pep Guardiola is leaving after a decade of dominance?

Some players will inevitably weigh their futures. Rodri has already hinted at the complexity of his own situation. Speaking on Monday, the 29-year-old struck a calm but intriguing tone.

“I’m very calm, I know exactly where I stand, and I’ll tell you that perhaps if there hadn’t been a World Cup, things might be different.”

His contract runs out next summer. That ticking clock, combined with Guardiola’s departure, gives suitors like Madrid a sliver of hope. Riquelme has tried to turn that sliver into a central plank of his campaign.

City, though, are not behaving like a club ready to be raided. Their stance on Haaland is absolute, their silence on Rodri’s specific situation deliberate. They know his value better than anyone.

City test Forest’s resolve over Anderson

While the political drama swirls around Madrid, City’s recruitment machine keeps moving.

The club have seen an initial bid for Elliot Anderson rejected by Nottingham Forest. Sporting director Hugo Viana is expected to return with an improved offer as City push to land one of England’s most in-demand young midfielders.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is thought to value the 23-year-old at around £100m – the same figure City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in August 2021. It is a price that underlines both Forest’s resolve and Anderson’s rapid rise.

The midfielder is on course to start for England in their opening World Cup match against Croatia on 17 June. If that happens, and if he performs on that stage, Forest’s valuation may start to look less like a negotiating stance and more like a market reality.

City know that world-class talent is only getting more expensive. They also know that if Riquelme or anyone else ever does manage to prise away a cornerstone like Rodri or a phenomenon like Haaland, the rebuild has to be ready before the first stone is removed.

For now, though, the message from Manchester is uncompromising: their stars are not election props, and their future will not be written in a Madrid TV studio.