Norway and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has put pen to paper on one of the biggest sponsorship deals in football history. But the key to agreeing with Nike is the influence of the ‘fat’ Ronaldo idol.
According to sports daily Marca, the giant Man City striker has signed a contract with Nike for up to 10 years, with what could be the biggest deal in football history.
The deal will bring Haaland 227 million euros for the duration of his contract, after the Norwegian striker spent 14 months without a sponsor. Haaland was sponsored by Nike from the age of 14 until January 2022, but has spent the last year wearing a variety of Nike, Adidas and Puma shoes.
It seems that a big part of the reason he decided to continue with Nike was inspired by Real Valladolid owner and Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario. The ‘original’ Ronaldo was Erling Haaland’s idol when he was growing up, and the outstanding striker decided to follow in the footsteps of the ‘fat’ Ronaldo.
Haaland is a long-term target for Real Madrid and received an offer from the Vultures last season. But currently, he is “temporary” in Manchester and is making a big impact on the Premier League. Erling’s record of 42 goals in 37 games is a record for Man City and he will break many more records if he stays with the Blue Man.