Erling Haaland: Agent confirms Man City star's career is already 'planned' out
Erling Haaland’s agent has vowed to ‘protect’ the Manchester City striker as a result of his rising profile as one of the best players in the world already leading to ‘exaggerated news’ being produced about him in the search for an ‘easy click’.
Haaland was expected to do well when he swapped Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City during the summer, having scored 86 times in 89 appearances for the German side.
But the Norwegian has taken things to a whole other level this season, finding the net 18 times in his first 13 Premier League games. At this rate, he will shatter Mohamed Salah’s existing competition record for goals in a 38-game season, which stands at 32, and also the overall record of 34 that was set in a 42-game season by Andy Cole and later matched by Alan Shearer.
Haaland is currently represented by Brazilian lawyer Rafaele Pimenta, who worked with the late Mino Raiola for 23 years until his untimely passing in April and has since inherited the superstar stable of players that also includes Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“He deserves [the attention]. It's a very nice thing, but I hope there isn’t too much.” Pimenta explained in an interview with Marca.
“I understand the attention, the curiosity that arouses. It's the novelty. A boy who is starting at this level. Curiosity is normal, but I hope that with Erling, when there are no things to say, [the media] don't make them up.
“This is something that is happening. They look for the easy click. There is exaggerated news. Haaland must be protected from this situation because he is a very young boy who still has to grow up. Everything is news around him, but it has to be because of his goals and his way of playing. I don't want other things to come out [if] controversies are invented.”
Pimenta was also asked about Haaland’s career potentially already being mapped out – his father, Alf Inge, recently hinted there at plans not to stay at Manchester City long-term because of ambitions to play in as many different top leagues as possible. He still has Spain, Italy and France left to try.
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It is worth nothing that, even, at the age of 22, Haaland has already played senior football at five different clubs, spending no more than two and a half years anywhere since his debut in 2016.
“What I know is that it is structured. What happens I cannot know. Things can change. We are clear about what we want to do,” Pimenta admitted.
“When his father first arrived at the office, he looked at me and told me that the most important thing was planning, the project,” she added.
“He found the right site and agency because we always have a project for all the players. It is a professional project, but we are talking about variables that we do not control.
“They are all wonderful, but 20 years ago we outlined a project with a Brazilian player and he had five serious injuries. The project could not work. With Erling, we have had a project from the beginning and the project is working. Keep going.”
Pimenta refused to comment on speculation there could be a release clause in Haaland’s contract with Manchester City, as there was at Dortmund, that would more easily facilitate his next move.
“If we don't say anything, surely something is interpreted and if we say something, too. As a lawyer I know that I can't say anything,” she said.
