Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are 'destined' to replace Cristiano Ronaldo and his long-term rival Lionel Messi at the pinnacle of world football when they retire.
That's the message from Haaland's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, as the former Borussia Dortmund frontman prepares to rest up while other elite players are on World Cup duty. Haaland was signed for £51million this summer as City won the goalscoring lottery when recruiting him from Germany.
Haaland, 22, continues to take the Premier League by storm and has accumulated staggering numbers this season, with 23 goals in 18 games across all competitions. Unless injuries or suspension hamper him, he is almost a certainty to win the 'Golden Boot' following his debut campaign and his eventual tally is anyone's guess.
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Haaland and PSG sensation Mbappe have long since been tipped to follow Manchester United striker Ronaldo and Messi at the top. However, those two have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award a jaw-dropping 12 times between them and are considered by many to be the two greatest players in history.
In that sense, it will be no simple task for Haaland, Mbappe or other would-be contenders.
Pimenta took over as Haaland's agent when Mino Raiola tragically passed away earlier this year. She was pressed on her client and his summer move to City - among other topics - by Gazzetta dello Sport.
She said: "The choice of Erling [Haaland] was first and foremost a technical one. When [Pep] Guardiola and City gave guarantees on his use on the pitch, the negotiation went forward.
"The agent has to take a step back from the player's interest. He and Mbappe are certainly the stars destined to pick up the legacy of [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo."
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