Gary Neville has said that Erling Haaland ’s excellent Manchester City form has been “unfair” - and has predicted the Norwegian to win the Ballon d’Or.
The striker arrived at the Etihad Stadium in the summer having harnessed the reputation as one of Europe’s most clinical strikers. He has continued that stunning form in the Premier League with ten goals in just his opening six games.
Taking a close look at the Norwegian’s seamless adaptation to the demands of English football, Neville has suggested that his presence in the Man City team is not fair on the rest of the sides in the Premier League, while comparing Haaland to an infamous spy villain.
Talking on his own podcast, the former defender said: “ Erling Haaland is... it just looks a bit unfair. I remember when I watched James Bond films when I was younger and there was the character Jaws, who was about 7ft 2in.
“He used to just pick people up and chuck them on the floor, and it's a little bit like that when you watch Haaland against strong centre-backs. You think, 'wow, he's just unplayable - how do you even cope with him in the box?'.
“The one thing I would say is Haaland's career at City will prolong his overall career, because he's just standing there. The way Manchester City play, with that possession that they keep, you never really see him stretching teams, other than when they get one or two in front.”
How many goals do you think Erling Haaland will score for Man City this season? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Considering Haaland’s recent form, Man City’s £51m move for his services now looks like a bargain. Neville has praised the club for their decision to sign a player at the peak of his powers - even predicting that the Norwegian frontman could go on to win the Ballon d’Or.
He continued: “I just have to say that I'm massively impressed with him. It's the first time we've signed what I believe to be one of the top two or three players in the world for the future.
“Ordinarily, those players go to Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo, when he became the best player in the world here [at Manchester United ] or maybe Thierry Henry at Arsenal, they didn't sign as prospects to be the best player in the world, they just developed to being that when they were here.
“But this player - you fully anticipate he's going to go on and win Ballon d'Ors and be the best player in the world. That's exciting - that's not happened for quite a while in the Premier League.”
Haaland takes a break from his Premier League commitments this weekend as he ventures into the Champions League for the first time with Man City. Already having accumulated a stunning record in the competition with Red Bull Salzburg and Dortmund, he will no doubt be keen to extend that with Pep Guardiola’s men set to open up their latest campaign against Spanish side Sevilla on Tuesday evening.
