The news of this week's leader in football was the decision of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to stay and renew his contract beyond the end of the current season and his current deal. It will have a knock-on effect throughout the elite in Europe.
Including on Real Madrid. Los Blancos have been eyeing a couple of their players for some time as potential recruits, but Guardiola's decision makes Rodri Hernandez and Erling Haaland more likely to stay at the Etihad, report. Chain Cope. After Toni Kroos' exit, and before Rodri's ACL injury, Real Madrid had identified Rodri as potentially their first recruit for next season, but Guardiola's presence makes that much less likely to leave in the near future.
Haaland is also successful under Guardiola, and is even less likely to move, although he is not united with the Catalan coach as the Ballon d'Or. The Norwegian striker has been linked with the Spanish capital since before he moved to City, and there is still a current of opinion that eventually the Blancos will move for him. For some time, the dream at the Santiago Bernabeu is to join Haaland and Mbappe, even if it was before the full emergence of Vinicius Junior.
