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In his first public remarks since Manchester City were found guilty by an independent panel of over 100 violations of Premier League financial rules, the club's prolific striker Erling Haaland downplayed any potential departure while distancing himself from the scandal in a combative interview. "Shall we continue?" he asked midway through a pointed outburst.
Nearly eight years after the probe was launched and three years after the charges were formally brought against City, the Premier League announced in September that the club had arranged "sham contracts" and made "sham agreements" to "artificially inflate" revenues and reduce costs by more than $1.2 billion.
The key detail Haaland latched onto over the weekend was the timeframe of these violations—which, it must be emphasized, City continue to deny and are currently appealing. The Premier League's investigation only covered the club's finances from 2009–18, well before Haaland's arrival in Manchester, as he was quick to highlight.
"The investigation covered 2009 to 2018," the striker coolly stated during a tense exchange with Norwegian broadcaster TV2. "In 2009, I played for Bryne U-9s. In 2010, the U-10s. In 2011, the U-11s. 2012, the U-12s, 2012, the U-13s. Shall we continue? We don't need the whole list..." he trailed off, glancing around with a raised eyebrow before deciding that, yes, the full list was indeed necessary.
"2014, the U-14s," he went on. "2015, the U-15s and the national team. Then the U-16s, I think. In 2016, I moved up to Bryne's first team, second team and youth team. In 2017, I went to Molde. In 2018, I was with Molde. The first team, Molde 2 and a bit with the youth team."
Haaland had been shielded from direct questions since the guilty verdict emerged while speaking exclusively with Viaplay, typically through Jan Åge Fjørtoft, a former international teammate of Haaland's father. Now facing mainstream channel TV2, the restraint was gone—on both sides.
"This is a question I find hard to answer, because it's a legal dispute between the Premier League and Manchester City," Haaland said dismissively. "Am I supposed to answer that? I'm not really sure. It's a tough question when I don't know that much about it."
Haaland Rules on Man City Transfer
What punishment Manchester City will ultimately face remains to be seen—should their appeal fail, of course. The widely held view is an unprecedented points deduction, potentially impacting both the current and future seasons, which could effectively seal relegation. In such a scenario, a mass departure of City's top talent would almost certainly follow, with Haaland being the most coveted name on the market. Not that he seems bothered.
"To be completely honest, I'm focused on performing for Manchester City," the composed 26-year-old said with a shrug. "A club I signed a five-year deal with in 2022, and a new nine-and-a-half-year contract in late 2024. I think that says it all. I'm a City player and I'm incredibly happy there."
"I understand you're looking for a headline here," Haaland added, slipping back into that sharp tone, "but as I said, I signed a long-term contract in 2024.
"I'd say joining City in 2022 was a pretty solid decision. We can all agree on that. I won't say it myself, but look at the trophies I've won and how I've grown both on and off the pitch.
"I'm standing here after winning an international 3–1 [against Wales]. Things aren't going so well in the Premier League, but we'll look to change that against Fulham."