The verdict came on Friday, 25 September. By Saturday, two of Europe’s biggest clubs had already opened a line to Haaland’s camp.

Football Insider reported that Arsenal and Real Madrid have made initial contact with Haaland’s representatives, both eyeing a 2027 move. That is inside 24 hours of the independent commission’s ruling.

Barcelona did not need the verdict to put Haaland on their list. The Catalan club were already monitoring his situation before Friday, and president Joan Laporta has kept a working relationship with Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta.

Manchester City “confident” as City prepare appeal

Manchester City intend to appeal. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak went to supporters on Saturday.

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“The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,” Al Mubarak wrote in an open letter to fans.

The appeal will run for months. No sanction, whether a points deduction, a transfer ban or expulsion from the Premier League, has been imposed. But every one of those outcomes is now on the table, and every rival club knows it.

Solbakken pulls Haaland out of press duties

Haaland has said nothing publicly since the ruling. Norway coach Ståle Solbakken removed him from the pre-Nations League press conference so he would not have to.

“Of course, it is because we want to concentrate and give him the best possible conditions to concentrate on the match,” Solbakken said.

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“I think it is timely that he concentrates on what he should do, and that is to score goals for Norway.”

Solbakken pointed to Rodri fielding endless Ballon d’Or questions during Spain’s international duty as the scenario he wanted to avoid.

The contract that would demand a world record

Any move would have to be historic. Haaland signed an extension in January 2025 that ties him to City until 2034, and Spanish outlet Sport confirmed the deal contains no release clause in the event of relegation or any other sanction.

Whoever lands him would have to top Neymar’s 2017 move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, still the biggest fee in the game’s history. Haaland has scored seven goals in his first seven club matches of the season, plus a brace for Norway in a Nations League fixture against Denmark.

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Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Arsenal are actively working the striker market.

“Arsenal are still looking at strikers. Striker is an area they want to cover. It is an area where I expect Arsenal to do something,” Romano said.

Manchester City’s appeal is scheduled to work through the coming months, with the 2027 window the target for all three suitors.

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