Erling Haaland has been backed to suffer with the same problem as Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea should he complete a switch to move to Manchester City by Paul Merson. The Norwegian has been linked with a switch to the Etihad Stadium, as well as a move to Chelsea and Man United in the past.
It has been suggested by our colleagues at the Manchester Evening News that the reigning Premier League champions are edging towards a deal for the Norwegian hitman as Pep Guardiola aims to add to his attacking options at the Etihad Stadium. Having harnessed the reputation as one of the most fearsome goalscorers in Europe with Borussia Dortmund, on paper at least he looks to be an excellent signing.
Nevertheless, former Arsenal playmaker Merson has suggested that his Premier League career could go the same way as Romelu Lukaku's Chelsea move - the Belgian having only netted on five occasions in the league since his club record switch from Inter Milan.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Merson said: "Haaland comes in, you look at a lot of Haaland's goals, a lot of Haaland's goals are a lot of grass beyond, over the top, pacey runs onto it, finish.
"It's a completely different game when you come to Manchester City. You kick-off and 10 players are going and standing on the edge of their box, you've got to break them down, got to show guile and this is the problem with [Romelu] Lukaku, he's struggling at Chelsea.
"He ripped it up at Everton, West Brom where teams come and have a go and he's a handful but when it's on the edge of the box, Lukaku ain't got nowhere to go and he wants to run into space, he's a good finisher.”
Lukaku's continued inconsistent form has seen him drop to the bench under Thomas Tuchel - the German preferring compatriot Kai Havertz to lead the line under his stewardship. However, the Chelsea boss has suggested that the Belgian can still go on to meet the expectations of him at Stamford Bridge.
"For sure it’s disappointing for him and not what we or what he expected at the moment but it’s not finished and we will not give in,” Tuchel said earlier this week. “We never give in with any players and he never gives in. We will push him as far as we can and as long as the player stays involved in the mentality that is needed to bring a team forward, he can still be a crucial player."
