“He is an amazing player” – Erling Haaland lavishes praise on Manchester City teammate who ‘still has to develop’
Manchester City's latest signing Erling Haaland has praised his new teammate Phil Foden, calling him an "amazing player."
Haaland was officially announced as the Cityzens' new striker earlier today (June 13) via their website and social media handles. During his first interview as a City player, the 21-year-old revealed that he has been watching his new side's matches for quite some time now. Haaland went on to speak about Foden as well.
He said (as quoted by the Manchester Evening News):
"I have been watching a lot of City games for as long as I can remember. Of course, then I also watched Phil and he is an amazing player."
Haaland added that the Englishman can still develop as he is young:
"He is still a talent because he is still young, but he is an amazing player. He still has to develop and then we can really talk."
Foden is notably older than Haaland by less than two months. He has been a part of Manchester City's first team for quite some time under Pep Guardiola and has blossomed into an incredibly versatile footballer.
The 22-year-old has already made 169 appearances for the Cityzens, recording 45 goals and 33 assists. Foden has lifted the Premier League title and EFL Cup four times apiece while also winning the FA Cup once. He has also made 15 appearances for England.
Erling Haaland will only improve the strength of a stacked Manchester City side
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City are undoubtedly one of the best sides in Europe at the moment. While they have played incredibly well without a striker over the past two seasons, many believe Haaland's arrival could take them one step further.
The 21-year-old's goalscoring record is incredible. He recently recorded his 20th goal for Norway in just his 21st match, while his club stats are simply outstanding.
Haaland scored 29 times in 27 matches for Red Bull Salzburg before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2020. The Norwegian was on fire for the Bundesliga giants, notching up 86 goals in 89 matches across all competitions, while also laying out 23 assists.
Despite his barely believable individual numbers, Haaland has won only three major titles. He lifted the DFB-Pokal trophy with Dortmund, and the Austrian League and Austrian Cup with Salzburg.
The prodigy will hope to add more winners' medals during his time at Manchester City.