Even Pep Guardiola was speechless when Txiki Begiristain called him to confirm a deal had been agreed with Erling Haaland over his sensational ten year contract.

On a reported £500,000-per-week, Haaland's contract blows his previous deal out of the water and commits his future to City until he is almost 34. If he stays that long - and City expect him to - he will have given 12 years to the club and almost certainly given up on any potential transfer to Real Madrid.

The ten year deal - or nine-and-a-half year extension if we are being picky - is a Premier League record, and is among the most expensive handed out. Its scale has rocked the football world, in part because nobody saw it coming.

READ MORE: What mega Erling Haaland deal means for Manchester City finances as power statement made

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola breaks silence on Erling Haaland contract with clear message

So how did City keep one of their biggest ever negotiations completely out of the public eye?

Well, City agreed to sign Haaland from Borussia Dortmund under the radar when everyone wanted to know where the world's most sought-after player was going. City's announcement came with no build-up or major leaks, and that was the case with this major extension.

Just like his signing, City even filmed a series of announcement videos and produced a full content plan - with his 2022 videos smashing records for reach and engagement. This is all part of the package with a superstar like Haaland.

The contract announcement video also gave a cheeky nod to the 'rumours' about his future, yet for all of the noises coming out of the Haaland camp about potential future moves to Real Madrid and keeping his options open along a carefully-planned career path, City have always been able to count on the player and his family for complete discretion.

After all, this deal could be worth a ridiculous £247m before any lucrative bonuses, sponsorship deals and other add-ons. It is in everybody's interest to keep it under wraps.

It seems Haaland's long-term plan has been turned on its head in his two-and-a-half years at City so far. Clauses inserted in his previous contract left the option open for an exit at various points but all are said to have now been removed.

Whether they were replaced with anything similar is another closely-guarded secret. "I'm good at keeping secrets," quipped Haaland.

There will be inevitable speculation over break and relegation clauses and so on. City are waiting to hear if they will be punished for financial breaches by the Premier League - the most severe of which could knock the Blues out of title races and European contention at the very least.

Guardiola hailed Haaland's trust and commitment to the club without referencing the charges specifically, and while the deal doesn't confirm anything regarding those charges, it reinforces City's confidence they have done nothing wrong, as does their January transfer business and Guardiola's recent extension of his own.

For City's part, they expect Haaland to honour his new long-term deal.

"The club wouldn't agree to offer this type of deal if Erling is not completely sure that he will live this ten years of his life until 34 years old when he finishes," Guardiola said on Friday. "He wouldn't sign. Both parties are happy and they did it."

Guardiola denied talking to Haaland about the contract talks before it was agreed, despite Haaland citing chats with the boss as a key reason to extend. In fact, Guardiola joked that he had to ask Txiki Begiristain to repeat himself when he was told Haaland had committed for ten years.

"The people I spoke with in the club was so good," Haaland told Sky Sports. "I got so motivated, got so good feelings inside him when I spoke with Khaldoon [Al Mubarak], Ferran [Soriano], Pep and he bosses. In the end I listened to my instinct and feelings inside myself. And it was an easy choice because of the things they said and the way they convinced me.

"I owe Man City everything. They commit to signing me, signing a new deal. The least I can do is anything I can to perform as best as possible and make City a better club and a better team."

Haaland video-called chairman Al Mubarak when the deal was signed, with the announcement coming on Friday morning as City prepare to complete more than £120m-worth of transfer deals in the form of Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Guardiola talked up the trust the club have shown in their recent off-pitch activity, and Haaland's contract is arguably bigger than any new signing. It will comfortably be the biggest contract negotiation they have ever completed.

Haaland admitted that the ten year contract idea was 'crazy', but added: "I also like a bit crazy." He is about to become a father and is completely settled in Manchester.

He initially lived in the city centre upon signing in 2022, but has since moved out to a quieter setting in Cheshire where he will soon welcome a baby with his girlfriend and a new kind of crazy will ensue. He is a strong family man, and enjoys a good relationship with Guardiola and City have been impressed with his commitment to keeping fit and in a good physical condition.

Perhaps he sees stability as important at the start of a year where his life is set to change as his family grows. He said: "You can never know or plan how the future is going to be. Now you can prepare as best as possible and relax a bit more in your head because anything can happen. Now I can relax, focussing on becoming a better player and person."

The romantic narrative is that he has fallen in love with the city and the club, changing his mind from the career plan that could have involved Madrid in the future. That is absolutely true, and should not be underestimated - he loves the City fans and has been persuaded to stay with the club he supported as a boy.

But with Real signing Kylian Mbappe last summer, that particular door might have been closed for him too. Now, he can purely focus on football.

Even with staggering amounts of money involved, maybe it is just as simple as tying Haaland down while he is happy and agreeing a deal that suits all parties. Guardiola believes he can set unbreakable records if his scoring rate continues, and City will look at Haaland as the face of their rebuild whenever Guardiola leaves.

And the deal was done in the same manner of Haaland's playing style. Simple, effective, and brutal in its impact.