Florentino Pérez eyes Haaland move to pair with Mbappé

Erling Haaland may not be in the best form of his career, but that is unlikely to stop him from starting for Manchester City against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash.

The Norwegian striker has historically performed well in Madrid, where the atmosphere seems to inspire him.

In fact, during his time with City he has never lost a match in the Spanish capital.

His most recent appearance there came on December 10, when he scored the decisive penalty in a 2-1 victory.

Overall, he has recorded one win and two draws in Madrid and missed City’s 3-1 defeat in the second leg of the 2025 Champions League play-offs on February 19.

From the stands that night, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez may have reflected on what might have been had the club secured Haaland earlier.

Madrid had considered signing him months before, and the idea has never been completely abandoned.

In late 2024, shortly after Real Madrid celebrated their 15th European Cup triumph, interest from the Saudi Pro League in star winger Vinícius Júnior created uncertainty within the club.

Frustrated after missing out on the Ballon d’Or, the Brazilian faced pressure from people around him to consider a lucrative move.

Anticipating the possibility of his departure, Madrid’s management began planning a new attacking partnership: Kylian Mbappé on the left wing and Haaland leading the line.

Ultimately, Vinícius chose to remain in Madrid and only Mbappé joined the club.

However, during discussions with Haaland’s entourage, Madrid officials discovered that the striker’s long-term dream is to one day wear the famous white jersey. This revelation kept the possibility of a future transfer alive.

Real Madrid had previously tried to sign Haaland in the summer of 2021 when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund, but they were unwilling to activate the €75 million release clause in his contract at the time.

Since then, the situation has changed dramatically. Haaland extended his contract with Manchester City until June 2034 and reportedly earns about €2.6 million per month, making him the highest-paid player in England.

Although the new contract includes a release clause, its exact value has never been revealed.

While it would be out of reach for many clubs, it might still be manageable for a financial powerhouse like Real Madrid.

For now, Madrid has placed the Haaland idea on hold. However, uncertainty remains around Vinícius, who will have only one year left on his contract at the end of the season and has yet to agree to an extension.

As long as that situation continues, the club will not completely close the door on the possibility of eventually pairing Haaland with Mbappé in a new “Galácticos”-style project.

Despite their global fame, Mbappé and Haaland barely know each other personally.

They share the same sponsor, Nike, and have a mutual friend in Rayan Cherki, yet they have rarely met.

One of the few moments their paths crossed was coincidentally at Le Bourget Airport, where both were boarding private flights to different destinations.

On the pitch, they have also rarely faced each other. Of the last three meetings between Real Madrid and Manchester City, only one featured both stars playing—Madrid’s 3-2 victory on February 11, 2025.

In the upcoming clash, Mbappé will miss the match due to a knee injury, meaning another opportunity for the two superstars to meet will be postponed.

Their next likely encounter could come during the international tournament in New York on June 26 with their national teams.

And who knows—one day they might even share the same shirt at Real Madrid, especially if the Spanish giants decide they need another superstar to lead their attack.