Real Madrid Eye Erling Haaland as Vinicius Jr. Replacement Amid Contract Uncertainty

Real Madrid have identified Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as a potential signing should they part ways with Vinicius Junior, whose contract at the Santiago Bernabeu enters its final year next week. Haaland has been in imperious form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring four goals in Norway’s opening two games – a run of performances that has done little to dampen what is likely to be a summer of renewed speculation around the 25-year-old given the scale of interest European football’s biggest clubs tend to direct his way. It is a level of attention City have grown accustomed to deflecting.

Haaland signed a contract extension at the Etihad Stadium through to 2034 in November 2024 and the terms of that deal mean any club attempting to prize him away from Manchester would face a transfer fee widely understood to begin at €200 million before personal terms are even discussed. Vinicius Jr. enters the final year of his contract next week – a situation that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will be determined to resolve one way or another before it becomes a public distraction similar to the ones that have surrounded several of Madrid’s biggest names in recent windows.

It is against that backdrop of potential upheaval in Madrid’s forward line that Haaland’s name has now surfaced as a contingency option, with Perez’s ambition to secure the world’s most prolific striker a recurring subplot of European transfer windows even before City’s recent run of dominance. As reported by Sport and relayed by ESPN, the Spanish outlet with strong access to the Santiago Bernabeu, Perez has personally outlined Haaland as a potential target should Vinicius Jr. depart – framing the Norwegian as the profile Madrid would pursue to fill the void left by one of the world’s most valuable attackers.

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The report adds that Real Madrid also retain interest in Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, with the French winger considered a candidate for a move to the Bernabeu once the World Cup concludes – potentially as part of a broader reshaping of Jose Mourinho’s attacking options rather than a straight swap contingent on Vinicius Jr.’s future. Vinicius Jr. has shown no indication of pushing for an exit, but with one year left on his deal and no public progress on an extension, Madrid face a ticking clock that gives Perez every incentive to at least map out the alternatives – of which Haaland appears to be the most ambitious.

City’s position, for now, is straightforward. Haaland is under contract until 2034 and there is no suggestion from within the Etihad Stadium that the club would entertain any approach, regardless of the fee attached. Incoming manager Enzo Maresca is set to inherit arguably the most feared striker in world football, and Haaland’s World Cup form will only have reinforced the view that building around him remains City’s single greatest competitive advantage heading into next season.

The broader picture, however, is one that City’s hierarchy will monitor carefully. Real Madrid under Mourinho have already moved quickly and decisively on Bernardo Silva this summer, demonstrating a willingness to close deals at pace when the motivation is there. Haaland himself has given no indication of restlessness at the Etihad Stadium, and his relationship with City’s recruitment structure under director of football Hugo Viana is understood to be strong. With the World Cup still ongoing and the summer window only beginning to gather momentum, this story is one that figures to develop considerably before pre-season begins – even if City’s official stance is likely to remain unchanged throughout.