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Erling Haaland insists he never even thought about the impending verdict on Manchester City’s much-discussed 115 charges before committing his long-term future to the club.
Fertile Norwegian he was also happy to close the door on the like Real Madrid and Barcelona stay at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland has signed an extraordinary new nine-and-a-half-year contract with the reigning club Premier League champions worth a reported core £500,000 a week last Friday.
It was a huge vote of confidence for the club, which could face the possibility of heavy points deductions or even relegation due to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.
City, who have denied any wrongdoing, faced an independent commission hearing into more than 100 allegations before Christmas and expect a verdict in the spring.
“No, I didn’t think about it or anything,” Haaland told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of City’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.
“At the end of the day, I really don’t think I should talk too much about this because I’ve been here for two-and-a-half years and I’m confident the club know what they’re doing.”
Haaland, who has scored 112 goals in 127 appearances since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, has been regularly linked with Madrid.
His father Alf-Inge even said recently that he could see his son moving on.
“First of all, those are his words, not mine,” said Haaland Jr, 24. “When I signed for City I said I felt at home and of course I meant it.
“I’m really looking forward to spending so many more years in Manchester. It will be amazing.”
Asked directly if he was happy to rule out 15-time European champions Madrid, Haaland said: “I’ve just signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract, so what do you want me to say? Of course I’m happy with that.
“I am very happy with my choice. I’m looking forward to spending many years in Manchester and that’s really it.”
Haaland, who has scored 80 Premier League goals, also insisted he is not motivated by the prospect of beating Alan Shearer’s long-standing competitive record of 260.
Asked if he had thought about it, he said: “Not really, no.”
City’s match in Paris is a crucial encounter for both teams after disappointing campaigns in the competition so far.
Pep Guardiola’s side have collected just eight points from their first six league games, while PSG are a point behind. Defeat could leave either side in danger of missing out on a place in the top 24 and the knockout stages.
City manager Guardiola said: “Of course this is a really important game for us and for PSG, but we have another game against Bruges at home.
“I don’t know how many points we will need. Six points will be mathematical (for sure), but maybe four, maybe three.
“But if we don’t qualify, we have to accept that we weren’t good enough.”
Center back John Stones is back in action after an ankle injury, but new signings Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov are unable to feature.
“Welcome to the family,” Guardiola said of the new arrivals. “We’re really glad to have them.”