Haaland deal proves he trusts Man City - Guardiola

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (right) with Pep Guardiola (left)

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland's new long-term contract is a sign of the Norwegian's trust in the club.

The nine-and-a-half-year deal, running to 2034, is unprecedented for its length in the Premier League and will make Haaland one of the highest paid sports stars on the planet.

It comes as City wait to discover the outcome of the disciplinary hearing into their alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial rules, which has brought the threat of a points deduction and even relegation.

"It is trust," said Guardiola. "When one player decides to sign this type of contract, it is because he wants to show how desperate he is to be here.

"He settled perfectly. He loves the club and the people he's around. He loves the Premier League. He is here with his wife and father and has decided there is no better place to be in the next 10 years, so he and his family decide to stay."

It is understood clauses that existed in Haaland's initial contract, which had been due to expire in 2027, have now been removed.

There have been reports of a break clause being inserted that takes effect in 2029, although that has not been confirmed by City or the player's representatives.

The length of contract is beyond even those handed out to Chelsea players under their current ownership regime, and Guardiola said he needed to clarify the timescale when he was initially told.

"I said 'Can you repeat? Are you sure?'. It is good news. It means a lot."

Haaland has won the Premier League's Golden Boot in both full seasons since his £51.2m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

The 24-year-old is second behind Mo Salah with 16 in this season's standings despite City's relatively poor form.

Overall, Haaland has scored 111 goals in 126 appearances for the Blues and Guardiola sees no reason why the forward cannot eclipse Alan Shearer as the Premier League's most prolific scorer.

"If he continues with the numbers he has had since he arrived, yes," said the City boss ahead of Sunday's trip to Ipswich.

"Now it's down to the club, myself and everyone to make the right environment for him to express himself in every game, in every three days, to get the best of him.

"The players have to deliver the actions. With Kevin [de Bruyne] in his prime, Erling would be better."

'City will have seen Liverpool player power' - analysis

Haaland's new deal at City is an "expensive" but "smart" decision from the club, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of the season and could leave the club for free, but City were keen to avoid such a situation unfolding with Haaland.

"He [Haaland] is halfway through his original five-year contract and once you get into that last two years the balance of power starts to shift towards the player more than the club, as City would have observed at Liverpool," Maguire told BBC Sport.

"What they [City] have here is a long-term commitment which protects Haaland's value in the market.

"I think it's a smart business decision from City. It's an expensive decision, but it's one they could afford."

Real Madrid, who are keen to sign Alexander-Arnold, have already acquired the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba on free transfers in recent years, and Toni Kroos in the same way in 2014.

Now Haaland's new deal could put the Norwegian out of reach for the Spanish club.

"There was a very restricted number of alternative clubs to which he could have signed for," said Maguire.

"One is Real Madrid, but Real Madrid do not need a striker any time soon. You look at their line-up - they have Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, both of whom are young.

"Barcelona are financially in dire straits, they are very restricted. Paris St-Germain aren't signing big players because the value of the French TV rights has collapsed. Bayern Munich wouldn't pay the wages that Haaland is looking for."

Pep delighted at transfer backing

Confirmation of Haaland's new deal comes as City are targeting a major rebuild during the current transfer window.

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov and teenage Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis are all at various stages of moves which, when concluded, will cost City in excess of £100m.

In addition, the club are interested in Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso as Kyle Walker continues negotiations about leaving City.

After the mutual show of faith in Haaland, Guardiola is thankful for the backing City are showing him after the awful run of one win in 13 games in a two-month sequence from the end of October.

"They have shown it," Guardiola said.

"When players come, it is not because I decide. It is the club that brings players here. It is the club that has to decide whether we change some players or the manager or whatever.

"The trust has always been here. I think after the last two months, in other environments, I would not be here that's for sure."