Officials at Manchester City are understood to be a little surprised not to have received an acknowledgement from Premier League chief executive Richard Masters after they tied down Erling Haaland to an extraordinary nine-and-a-half-year deal.
Regardless of the ongoing legal situation between the two, Haaland is one of the most instantly recognisable players on the planet and — amid concerns that incoming financial rules may see the top stars head elsewhere — to keep the prolific Norwegian in the English top flight may be viewed as a positive for both club and competition.