Man City know what will matter most in Erling Haaland contract talks

There is some belief in the corridors of power at Manchester City that player contracts are not that important.

The summer transfer window provided plenty of evidence to counter this view: City could hold onto Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva precisely because of their signed commitments to the club in a way that they could not with Ilkay Gundogan, whose obligation had run out. The Blues obviously believe in contract extensions because they are one of the best in the business at signing players up to new deals, with stars often putting pen to paper around a year after their initial move in a way that usually rewards them financially without being able to wait until their peak to claim an almighty jump in the wage bill.

Erling Haaland is already a top earner at the Etihad but is the latest target for an extension, with talks expected to intensify over the coming months. With his initial deal stretching to 2027, an add-on could see the world's best strikers spend most of his 20s in Blue.

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And yet, it is also true that the contract will be dictated by the happiness of the player. Pep Guardiola has made it clear that anyone who wishes to be elsewhere can leave if they bring a suitable offer, and Haaland will certainly not be short of them if his career trajectory continues to rocket upwards and he makes it clear he wants a move.

Rafaela Pimenta, his agent, has said similar about an asset she values at £1 billion when factoring in image and sponsor value on top of his football. "I've done every contract in this agency for the last 25 years," she said earlier this