Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has hailed Erling Haaland as the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Lescott has been getting a close-up view of City’s new £51million Norwegian striker during the champions’ pre-season tour of the United States - and loves what he’s seen. The ex-England defender reckons Haaland has got both the technique and the temperament to thrive in Pep Guardiola’s side - and has the kind of edge that has made Ibrahimovic one of the world’s most lethal marksmen over the last 20 years.
And Haaland has warned Premier League defenders to tangle with 6ft 4ins Haaland at their peril. Lescott, who now acts as a club ambassador at the Etihad, said: “I think you can compare Haaland to Zlatan.
“I like that. He will put pressure on himself to score goals and win games. I like the personality he seems to have. I don’t know him in terms of being in and around the place. But it’s clear from the social media presence he has that he is someone who knows what he wants and what he represents.
“The stature of Haaland and his presence remind me so much of Zlatan. It’s his style, his build, his belief. He has this quality. I wouldn’t call it arrogance. It’s more like this total confidence in his ability.”
Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund after first storming defences for Bryne, Molde and RB Salzburg. And at just 21 has hit the net 20 times in 21 appearances for his country.
It was the way he responded to insults from Sweden defender Alexander Milosevic earlier this summer that illustrated to Lescott that Haaland will take care of any Premier League hardmen who try to target him. Haaland claimed Milosevic called him “a w****” and threatened to break his legs during a Nations League clash in June
The striker responded by scoring twice as Norway beat Sweden for the first time in 54 years. Lescott added: “I watched Haaland playing for Norway against Sweden in the summer when the defender was giving him stick. He rose to it and said ‘I’m ready for this.’
“That’s the kind of attitude you need in the Premier League so I wouldn’t worry about that element in his game. You need that arrogance, that belief, that you are the best. Haaland will get targeted - but I think that defenders will come unstuck if they try it. I don’t think Haaland’s temperament can be questioned. He doesn’t make reckless tackles or gets sent off. He retaliates in a positive way.”
Haaland is joining a City team aiming to win the title for the fifth time in six seasons. It is in the Champions League where City will need him at his best after a series of heartbreaking near-misses in recent seasons.
Lescott said: “I think Haaland has a more selfish nature - which I quite enjoy in a striker. There will be games that will be tight , especially in the Champions League, and he's going to want to be the stand-out performer. For a player like Erling Haaland, that means scoring big goals.
“He is definitely the right acquisition at the right time. I don’t think there are many players out there with the qualities that Haaland has got. He demands the very best from himself all of the time - but world-class players do that.”
