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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Kyle Newbould

Manchester United transfer target Victor Osimhen details admiration for Man City star Erling Haaland

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has admitted he is flattered to be compared with Erling Haaland, describing the Manchester City star as 'one of the best of his generation'.

Osimhen has garnered interest from across Europe amid an outstanding season in Naples, the Nigerian striker netting 25 goals across all competitions to lead his side to an almost certain Serie A title and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

As well as childhood idol Didier Drogba, Osimhen looks up to Haaland - whose 44 goals this season dwarfs his own - and the Napoli frontman went out of his way to get the Norwegian's shirt, adding that he inspires him.

"I play with Leo Ostigard at Napoli, who is very good friends with Haaland and plays for Norway with him," Osimhen told the Daily Mail. "I am a fan of the Bundesliga so I've followed him for a while and every weekend he seems to score two, three, four goals.

"Ostigard spoke to me a lot about him, how hard he trained, then one day he said: 'If you want, I can bring you his shirt.' I said: 'Of course, bro.' So he spoke to Haaland, who also asked for my shirt, so we swapped them through Ostigard. He is one of the best of his generation so to be compared with him – and considered one of the best strikers in the world – only inspires me to do more.

"I can score four goals in a game, I can provide more assists, I can do many more things as I have the quality to execute them. I need to work even harder and then at the end of my career I can hopefully look back and say yes, I did some wonderful things."

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