Some might call it the Americanization of sports, as such long-term deals are something we’re accustomed to seeing in baseball. Others might call it an unnecessary risk because who can guarantee a player will perform at the same level for an entire decade? However, Manchester City is clearly confident there will be no unpleasant surprises, as The Athletic reports that the Citizens have secured Erling Haaland’s stay at the Etihad until 2034! No, it’s not a typo. The Athletic claims that the Norwegian has already signed a new contract, lasting an incredible nine and a half years and in the meantime, it was confirmed by the club from Etihad stadium.Dear defenders 🖋️ pic.twitter.com/bra8MZEhq6— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 17, 2025 This kind of deal in modern football first appeared when Atlético Madrid, fearing Bayern Munich, handed Saúl Ñíguez a ten-year contract — a deal that ultimately didn’t end happily. Then, when Todd Boehly took over Chelsea, he began bending UEFA’s financial rules “the American way” by offering similar decade-long contracts. For instance, Cole Palmer’s contract runs until 2033, as does Nicolas Jackson’s, while Enzo Fernández is tied until 2032. Chelsea had to comply with Financial Fair Play rules, spreading costs over long-term contracts. City, however, doesn’t seem constrained by such measures — or at least, the public hasn’t been made aware of any. The Emirati owners have so far managed to sidestep UEFA’s threats over extravagant spending.After finally overcoming football issues, City are facing marital ones?!In this case, it seems City’s leadership simply believes they won’t find a better striker than Haaland in the next decade. When his new contract expires, the Norwegian will be 34 years old. His future will then depend entirely on him, as all previous release clauses have been removed from the new agreement. Such loyalty, of course, comes at a price. While The Athletic mentions this could be one of the most lucrative deals in sports history, they don’t provide specific details. However, the Daily Mail reports that Haaland’s base salary won’t change significantly, remaining on par with City’s highest earners. Still, with bonuses—some of which are nearly guaranteed—his weekly earnings could surpass 850,000 pounds, translating to around 52 million euros annually. This gross amount would leave Haaland with roughly half after taxes, making him the highest-paid player in European football ahead of Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane.🚨 Manchester City this month:Agreed deals to sign:➡️ Omar Marmoush➡️ Abdukodir Khusanov➡️ Vitor ReisAnd then Erling Haaland signs a 9+ year contract. ✍️Yeah, they are winning that 115 charge legal case against the Premier League aren’t they? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WVil5xSEKk— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 17, 2025 “Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody. I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what. I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward” said Haaland for the club’s website.Marmoush is finally becoming a CitizenHaaland’s previous contract, expiring in the summer of 2027, earned him a fixed 375,000 per week (approximately 23 million euros gross annually, netting half). This means City wasn’t in a hurry to renegotiate. However, after 111 goals in 126 games over two and a half seasons under Pep Guardiola, was there ever any doubt that Haaland was the player? One poor team season changes nothing about that. Even if City currently sits sixth in the Premier League, it’s certainly not Haaland’s fault. He’s already scored 21 goals this season, 16 of them in the Premier League. The bigger question is whether the scale of this deal could threaten City’s long-term stability, much like Lionel Messi strained Barcelona or Cristiano Ronaldo impacted Juventus. Then again, can anything truly jeopardize the financial stability of the United Arab Emirates?ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 22Saturday15.30: (1.65) Newcastle (4.20) Bournemouth (4.80)18.00: (6.75) Brentford (5.00) Liverpool (1.45)18.00: (4.00) Leicester (3.60) Fulham (2.00)18.00: (2.70) West Ham (3.15) Crystal Palace (2.75)20.30: (1.53) Arsenal (4.30) Aston Villa (7.00)Sunday17.00: (2.80) Everton (3.50) Tottenham (2.45)17.00: (2.10) Man.Utd. (3.60) Brighton (3.70)17.00: (1.38) Nott.Forest (4.70) Southampton (8.50)19.30: (8.00) Ipswich (5.80) Man.City (1.37)Monday23.00: (1.35) Chelsea (5.30) Wolverhampton (8.00)**odds are subject to change**
