Sofia Quijada
Enrique Riquelme, the Real Madrid presidential challenger, refuses to walk back his assertions that Manchester City stars Erling Haaland and Rodri are reachable targets. The 37-year-old entrepreneur has sharpened his position following denials from Haaland‘s inner circle, framing those rejections as routine cover during sensitive negotiations rather than genuine refusals.
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Riquelme Doubles Down on Haaland Clause
After his headline appearance on El Hormiguero, where Riquelme declared that Haaland “wants to come to Madrid”, the candidate spoke to AS to clarify the Norwegian forward’s status as the centrepiece of his electoral platform. He argues the move is structurally achievable.
“Haaland has a clause. It is a great name, which has been worked on for some time. You have to keep in mind that this is a candidacy; these are elections. One can win or the other can win. I understand that they have to take care of the player and protect him within the club and within his team. That seems normal to me. But I am very happy to be able to announce that great figures, if I am president, like Haaland, will play for Real Madrid.”
Brushing Off Pimenta and Alfie Haaland
The campaign absorbed a direct hit when Haaland‘s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, and his father, Alfie Haaland, issued a joint statement labelling the claims “not true”. Riquelme drew a parallel to the Luis Figo transfer from fierce rivals Barcelona in 2000, positioning public denials as standard defensive posturing during politically charged negotiation windows.
“Well, it’s part of the game. Better than you, nobody knows it. It also happened with Figo; this is part of football. Protecting the player, we had spoken before and after, also with Pablo (Barquero), Rodri’s representative. I know perfectly well that then you have to talk to City. They are different circumstances, Rodri’s than Haaland’s, but you have to talk to City. We have maximum respect for the club.”
Read also: Mourinho Pushes Real Madrid to Sign Rodri from Man City
A Personal Financial Guarantee for Members
To separate his pitch from the long incumbency of current president Perez, Riquelme has staked his own wealth on delivery. Should he fail to honour any transfer promise, he has committed to personally covering the membership fees of the club’s entire voting base.
“To convince the members? Apart from what I said, I put a guarantee, a personal guarantee that if I failed in any of those promises, I would personally pay the fee of the 100,000 Madrid members (around €15 million). I cannot ask for the member’s trust if I do not trust the proposal I have myself. I’m not going to burn my personal or professional image, nor as a Madridista or as a member, by bringing one or the other.”
Acknowledging City’s Role in Any Deal
Riquelme accepted that formal talks with Manchester City remain a necessary step before either Haaland or Rodri can arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu. His team has already sent private communication to the Etihad to pre-empt any misreading of his public statements.
“It’s an entertainment program. Football is football; this is part of football. We must continue talking, maximum respect to City; we must sit down. The player has a clause; he has a contract, and this Wednesday we already sent a message in private to City. Because even due to a language problem, they may understand something else, but there is clarity.”
The Real Madrid presidential race is now firmly part of the broader transfer conversation. Stay with TipsGG for continued coverage as this story develops.