Kevin De Bruyne has warned Erling Haaland could help take Manchester City to the next level as a team and expects the Norwegian to be a great success at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola's side confirmed the signing of Haaland from Borussia Dortmund last month, fending off interest from a host of European sides to strike a deal. City were able to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title this season without a recognised striker leading the line for much of the campaign and have long been in the market for a player of this calibre for some time.
Many believe the arrival of the talented 21-year-old makes the Sky Blues firm favourites to retain the top-flight title next term, with Haaland a player whose goalscoring record in recent years speaks for itself. He scored 29 times in 27 outings for RB Salzburg, followed up by 86 goals in 89 appearances at Dortmund.
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De Bruyne is certainly confident this acquisition will help City push on as a group, as well as boosting his potential number of assists registered.
"Erling Haaland is a top striker. His move should help us to grow as a team. Everybody expects a lot. They've always been looking for a number nine, but I think it'll be good to have that striker that maybe scores 20-25 goals a season," he told HLN.
"Maybe (Haaland's arrival might help me too)," De Bruyne added. "There have been years that I have more assists (than this season). But my chance creation and other things have remained consistent. Numbers are a part of football but they never tell you the full story."
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was certainly please to complete an initial £51m transfer of the towering striker, claiming Haaland's decision to join speaks volumes of the club's current standing within the game.
“He is a very, very unique, incredibly talented striker that I think the whole world has been looking at," he told mancity.com. “I would say every big team in the world wanted [him] to join and we’re absolutely delighted that Haaland chose to join Manchester City. I think it’s a testament to all the great work that’s been happening at this club."
