Erling Haaland can give Manchester City a presence just like that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, according to former Blues defender Joleon Lescott.
City bought Haaland this summer for £51m, and he is with the squad for their pre-season tour in the USA this week, where he could potentially make his debut against Club America on Wednesday night. As excitement builds and City fulfil various commercial activities in Houston, club ambassador Lescott spoke to media about the new season, where he warned other Premier League defences that Haaland will be impossible to stop at times in a City shirt, likening his attitude to Ibrahimovic.
"He looks like he enjoys the physical side of it," Lescott said. "Players like that you don't stop, if they turn it on they win the game. So you try to nullify the supply and frustrate them that way. If it was that easy to stop him, everyone would do it.
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"There was Sergio Aguero, and Gabriel Jesus did a good job. But I think he has a more selfish nature which I quite enjoy as a striker. There are games that will be tight and he's going to want to be the stand out performer and that means scoring goals for him.
“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. He puts pressure on himself to do well.”
Pressed on what exactly it is that makes Haaland like Ibrahimovic, Lescott said the two share the same build and mentality, and will use any rough treatment from defenders to their advantage.
“It’s his style, his build, his belief. The stature of him and his presence remind me so much of Zlatan," he explained.
“But he has this quality. I wouldn’t call it arrogance. It’s more like this belief in his ability. I watched him playing for Norway against Sweden in the summer when the defender [Alexander Milosevic] was giving him stick and 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.”
“We’ve had a few characters over the years. Maybe not in recent times but he is a player that City needs. He is the right acquisition. I don’t think there are many players out there with the personality that Haaland has got.
“He is someone who will put pressure on himself to do well before anyone else does it. World-class players do that.”
“He will get targeted — but I think that defenders will come unstuck if they do [target him]. 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.”
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