‘Always a chance’ - What happens when ‘Barcelona or Real Madrid come calling’ for Erling Haaland? Transfer prediction made by former Man City star

Haaland followed in the footsteps of his father Alf Inge by linking up with City in the summer of 2022. He was one of the hottest properties in world football at that point, with Pep Guardiola winning the race for the most sought-after of signatures.

An immediate return was delivered on a £51 million ($69m) transfer fee that has been made to look like quite the bargain - in an era of nine-figure deals - with Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble glory being savoured in a 52-goal debut campaign for Haaland.

Records have tumbled around the powerful frontman since then, with a century of top-flight goals in the English top-flight being recorded at history-making pace, and long-term personal terms have been put in place. There is, however, no guarantee that said deal will be honoured.

Talk of interest from Spain refuses to go away and Haaland will turn 27 next summer, after completing his fifth season in Manchester. Could he open himself up to a new challenge at that point - with doors at Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu ready to be swung open?

When that question was put to Hamann, the former City midfielder - speaking in association with Betinia - told GOAL: “Well, he's won it all, hasn't he? He won the Champions League, he won the Premier League, and I'm not sure how long he's got, he's signed a very long contract, didn't he?

“Obviously it's not down to him whether he will leave or can leave, but I think it's just natural when you've won it all, when you've been at the club for a certain time. He's even born in England, isn't he, because his father played in the Premier League.

“I think there might be a time where he says, when Barcelona or Madrid come calling, yeah, I think there's always a chance, but if City says no, with the contract he's got, then it might be tricky because he won't be cheap either.”

For now, Haaland is focused on helping City - who are working under Guardiola’s successor, Enzo Maresca - chase down major honours. He is taking on more of a leadership role after seeing the likes of Bernardo Silva and Rodri follow Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan out of the Etihad.

Pressed on who else needs to step up after seeing so much experience depart, Hamann added: “Obviously it's always a chance when very powerful and big characters in the dressing room leave, it's always a chance for others to step up and obviously somebody has to take the mantle, because they've been hugely successful.

“They've got Ruben Dias still there, who's the leader in the team. In [Gianluigi] Donnarumma they've got a keeper who's seen it all, who's still very young, but he's been around for a long time, and I think these are the guys.

“Because in Elliot Anderson, in [Ayyoub] Bouaddi, they've got two very talented players in the middle, but they need to be led. Bouaddii comes into a new league, so he might take a few weeks to adapt. I like both players very much, I've got to say, and I think it's a very important part, as we know, the engine room - this is where you win and lose games, so I think they need Dias, they need Donnarumma.

“Obviously as a keeper you haven't got that much influence, and Haaland, I think he probably has to take on a different role, because in the last few years there were players there where he probably didn't have that full responsibility. What's happened in the dressing room, that'll change now.”

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