Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims Manchester City striker Erling Haaland “is still a beginner in football” despite already being an “exceptional” talent.
Speaking after the Norwegian scored a brace in City’s 5-0 win over Sparta Prague in the Champions League, Wenger said that the forward has the potential to be an even better player in the future:
“He still has the instinct and the timing. I’ve seen him this season score outstanding goals controlled with his left foot, finished with his right foot. You see what is very good in the modern game as well Haaland is still a beginner in football.”
“He has exceptional quality but imagine he still has 13 or 14 years to play because today strikers can play until 35 and 36. They learn in every game.”
Haaland’s season in numbers
The 24-year-old has now hit the back of the net 13 times in 12 appearances for City this campaign. He had gone two games without a goal, with his last coming in the 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava at the start of October.
Haaland is never off the scoresheet for long though. As Wenger mentions, his finishing has been excellent in recent months, having scored 3.3 more goals than his non-penalty xG. In contrast, he was 2.9 goals below his xG last year.
Will City be able to keep hold of him?
It has been reported by multiple sources that Haaland has a release clause in his contract that will become active in 2025. However, it remains to be seen whether clubs like Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain can afford him.
The buyout fee could be as high as €200m (£166m), which is not a figure that any team could realistically pay. Haaland will have two years left on his contract at the end of the season so City will hope that he wants to stay, with an extension likely to be tabled in the near future.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
