Erling Haaland ‘taking Spanish lessons’ as Real Madrid links persist

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland is learning Spanish in his own time as he continues to be linked with a future move to long-term admirers Real Madrid, according to reports. The Norwegian striker has taken the Premier League by storm since joining City from Borussia Dortmund over the summer, finding the net on 23 occasions in all competitions, and looks set to be a near-certainty to win this season’s Golden Boot.Haaland joined City at the end of a long and drawn-out transfer saga that also involved Real Madrid, who reportedly spoke with the player’s representatives along with several other clubs before he eventually settled on a move to the Etihad Stadium. The Spanish giants continue to be linked with a potential swoop for Haaland at some point further down the line, though, with those in power at the Bernabeu still believed to be keen on snapping up the City ace.It seems as though Haaland is already making decisions that would help him adjust to life in Madrid after choosing to take Spanish lessons shortly after joining City over the summer, according to AS. The 22-year-old is known to be a fan of Spain and holidayed in Marbella after the end of last season, but City are said to be adamant that his purpose for taking language classes is merely to strengthen his ability to communicate with Pep Guardiola.City have a number of players that speak Spanish, including the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva, and it would make sense for Haaland to be attempting to learn the language in order to help him converse with his team-mates and manager. It is claimed that he has been attending lessons even before his move to City, though, which suggests that he could be eager to move to La Liga at some point before the end of his playing career.JUST IN: Benjamin Mendy tells court of his party lifestyle and drink-driving Erling Haaland has reportedly been taking Spanish lessons since arriving at City (Image: GETTY)It has recently been reported that Haaland may have a release clause written into his contract that would allow him to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, although this idea was firmly dismissed by Guardiola when quizzed on the rumours last month.”It’s not true, he has no release clause for Real Madrid or any other team,” said the City boss. “It’s not true, what can I say? I have the feeling he is incredibly happy here and we will try with him and others to make him happy here.”DON’T MISSLiverpool braced for Jude Bellingham heartbreak amid Man City ‘belief’Man Utd and Arsenal risk UEFA penalties after Premier League agreementCristiano Ronaldo ‘threw chair at teacher’ before Man Utd success The Norwegian striker joined City on a long-term contract during the summer transfer window (Image: EXPRESS)Haaland has been struggling with injuries over the last few weeks in spite of his incredible start to the season, with the former Dortmund striker missing City’s games against Leicester City and Sevilla due to a minor foot problem. He scored the winning goal upon his return to action against Fulham over the weekend but Guardiola confirmed on Tuesday that he is yet to fully recover and could still be a doubt for Saturday’s meeting with Brentford.”He’s not perfect still, so we’ll see tomorrow and next Saturday, but he’s getting better,” said the Spaniard. “The important thing is that the bone is not broken, it’s not damaged. It’s just the ligaments that are damaged a little bit.”It’s not perfect right now but in a week or ten days, everything can change. If he feels good he can play with the national team, it’s so important for the players. I never worry about the players when they are fit to play with the national team.”Want the latest Premier League news as we publish it on Express Sport? Join our Facebook group by clicking here.