Erling Haaland in line for new £500k-a-week Manchester City deal?

Since making the move to the Etihad from Borussia Dortmund last summer, a multitude of records have tumbled at the feet of the towering Norwegian.

Haaland has already amassed an extraordinary 42 goals from 37 games for Pep Guardiola's side - in addition to five assists - netting 28 times in 26 Premier League outings.

The 22-year-old is seven clear of his closest rival for the Golden Boot in Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, while he has also struck 10 goals in six Champions League contests.

Haaland has already broken Man City's record for the most goals in a single campaign, and he is tied down to the Premier League champions until the end of the 2026-27 season.

However, links with Real Madrid have started to resurface once more, as Los Blancos prepare for life after Karim Benzema, who is due to become a free agent at the end of the season.

In order to extinguish any chance of Carlo Ancelotti's side swooping in, The Sun claims that Man City want to agree a new deal with Haaland worth half a million pounds a week.

Such a salary would make the striker the highest-paid player in the top flight, and talks over a renewal will begin with Man City chiefs at the end of the season.

Haaland is said to currently earn £375,000 per week in Manchester, which already sees him lead the way in the Premier League wage charts alongside Kevin De Bruyne and David de Gea.

The Norway international's new deal would extend his Etihad stay by a further 12 months until 2028, and he is said to be totally happy at the Etihad amid his sensational goalscoring form.

Man City have already tied Julian Alvarez down to a new-and-improved deal this year, and Haaland's entourage have supposedly given the green light for talks to begin imminently.

While there was initially thought to be a release clause in the Norwegian's Etihad contract, that option is no longer active due to Guardiola's own extension.

Despite Haaland's prolific feats, Man City entered the international break eight points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, albeit with a game in hand on the Gunners.

The former Red Bull Salzburg starlet was due to link up with the Norway squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers with Spain and Georgia this month, but he was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a groin injury.

Man City face Liverpool in their first game back following the international break on April 1, and Alf-Inge Haaland has offered a pessimistic update on his son's fitness ahead of that highly-anticipated showdown.