Real Madrid Candidate's Bold Player Promises Spark Legal Warning from Manchester City

A man running to become Real Madrid's president has gotten Manchester City's attention — and not in a good way. Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old businessman, has been publicly promising to bring Manchester City stars Erling Haaland and Rodri to Real Madrid if he wins the election. Manchester City has now threatened to take him to court.

On Spanish TV shows, Riquelme held up a Real Madrid jersey with "Haaland 9" on it. He claimed he had deals lined up to sign both players. He even went further: he said that if he couldn't deliver on his promises, he would personally pay the membership fees for all 100,000 Real Madrid supporters.

Manchester City was clear in response: there is "no chance" Haaland is leaving. The club told The Athletic it's considering legal action specifically because Riquelme used Haaland's image and name in a political campaign without permission. Manchester City also confirmed there is no clause in Haaland's contract that would allow him to transfer to Real Madrid.

Why Haaland Won't Be Going Anywhere

Haaland's situation looks impossible to break. The Norwegian striker signed a contract extension in January 2025 that locks him into Manchester City until 2034 — that's nearly a decade away. Since joining City in 2022, he has become one of Europe's best forwards. Last season alone, he scored 38 goals across all competitions and won the Premier League's top scorer award.

Rodri's contract is different. The Spanish midfielder, who won the Ballon d'Or (the award for the world's best player), has only one year left on his deal. His contract ends next summer. This difference may explain why Riquelme picked both players — though Manchester City made clear they're not interested in letting either one go.

A Rare Election with High Stakes

Real Madrid doesn't hold contested elections very often. The last real fight for the presidency was back in 2006. This time, the current president, Florentino Pérez, called a snap election. The 79-year-old Pérez said he wanted a fresh vote because of what he called unfair media criticism. Under his leadership, Real Madrid has won six European Cups in the past ten years.

When asked about Haaland, Pérez simply said he had "no opinion on the matter" — a careful, measured response that contrasts with Riquelme's flashy campaign style.

Riquelme has also sent Pérez a formal letter asking for a meeting and requesting that the election be delayed, but there's been no public response.

What the Players Themselves Say

Haaland and his team have already pushed back hard against Riquelme's claims. Haaland's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, and his father Alfie released a joint statement to ESPN saying they were "laughing off" the idea that Haaland would move to Real Madrid.

Riquelme claimed Haaland has a release clause in his contract and wants to play for Real Madrid. Manchester City says neither is true. It's worth noting that Haaland has said in past interviews that he admires Real Madrid and would like to play there someday — but that's very different from actually leaving now. His new contract makes that kind of move look like it's years away, if it ever happens.

The Legal Issue Here

Manchester City isn't suing Riquelme over the contract claims themselves. Instead, they're going after him for using Haaland's image and name in a political campaign without permission. Think of it like using someone's face in an advertisement without asking — that's a violation of image rights.

This kind of argument has shown up before in Spanish football. Presidential candidates have made ambitious transfer promises to win votes. But using a player's actual image in campaign materials is more serious. It crosses a line from just making promises into improperly using something that belongs to someone else.

The timing here also matters. Manchester City just had a big celebration in May 2026 after winning the FA Cup and League Cup. That parade through Manchester shows the club is doing well and has little reason to let star players walk away.

What This Means for Real Madrid's Election

Real Madrid's election board announced it's moving forward with voting, even with this controversy hanging over things. The club is also announcing new jerseys for next season — basically saying it's business as usual despite the drama.

Real Madrid members now have a choice: stick with Pérez, whose leadership has brought real success over many years, or take a chance on Riquelme, whose background is in renewable energy, not football. Riquelme's willingness to bet his own money on being able to deliver these players is bold — but it also signals either very high confidence or a strategy to stand out from the current president.

Here's what's important to understand: Real Madrid is one of the most successful clubs in sports history, winning 15 European titles. But Riquelme's promises look good on paper only. The actual contracts, the legal obstacles, and the players' own statements all point in the opposite direction.

Manchester City's response sends a message to other clubs and future candidates: major football clubs will defend their players' names and images in court if they have to. Even during a democratic election at a rival club, there are limits to what's acceptable.

The Haaland controversy shows how complicated modern football has become. It's not just about what happens on the pitch anymore — it's about contracts, image rights, business decisions, and now even political campaigns.