Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has named the toughest player he has faced in the 22/23 season.
Last summer, the Norwegian striker joined Man City from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £52m.
Since then, he has scored goals left, right and throughout as he has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in English football.
Haaland has scored 52 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions, including a Premier League record of 36.
Advertisement
The 22-year-old was once the terror of defenders across the country but Haaland has now pointed to the toughest opponent he has faced this season. Speaking to BT Sport ahead of the Champions League final, he was asked about it by former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
Haland says:
“The hardest, we struggled at Anfield, I remember.
Advertisement
"Van Dijk, I've always said that, I think he's very good. But the good thing is that I meet Ruben Dias, (Manuel) Akanji, (Nathan) Ake in training every day. Training is not easy. .”
He added:
“But Van Dijk, I like him very much. He's smart, quick and flighty, he's also not very practical.
Haaland also explained why he aspires to win the Champions League.
Advertisement
According to The Sun, he said:
"I've dreamed and thought about winning the Champions League all my life - it's been my dream for a long time.
"In 2008, it was the Chelsea-United game. When I saw the celebrations, I wanted to do it too and now we are getting closer.
City are now gearing up for a taste of European glory as they gear up for this weekend's Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul.
Read More
Mauricio Pochettino is looking to overhaul Chelsea's midfield after replacing Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.
Reports in Spain suggest Chelsea have made a £112m offer for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, who is keen to stay in the Spanish capital despite interest from the Blues. The 24-year-old powerhouse is expected to remain an integral part of Carlo Ancelotti's project despite the impending arrival of Jude Bellingham's acquisition from Borussia Dortmund.
Valverde has taken the Bernabeu by storm since joining Zinedine Zidane's successive winning side in the 2018/19 campaign following a lucrative loan deal with Deportivo La Coruña.
The Uruguayan won two La Liga titles in that span, plus the Champions League and Copa del Rey among other five titles. Now, Spain's Defensa Central is reporting that Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring Valverde's quality and winning spirit to Chelsea as part of his revolution at Stamford Bridge.
Speculative reports, which should be regarded as salt in the water, claim Chelsea are dropping a horrendous £112m package.
Chelsea are said to be paying an upfront fee of £95m plus around £17m in surcharges for the 24-year-old, which expires in just over four weeks at the end of June.
Despite their interest, Valverde plans to stay at Real Madrid as they seek revenge against La Liga champions Barcelona next season.
The Blues are looking to overhaul their midfield as Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic prepare to leave alongside N'Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Sporting's Manuel Ugarte has sparked intense interest in Chelsea but they decided to scrap the deal on Sunday night due to what has been described as an 'unrealistic request'.
Ugarte is now set to sign for Paris Saint-Germain after undergoing a medical with the Ligue 1 champions in France as Chelsea are tipped to switch to international team-mate Valverde.
Moises Caicedo is also interested with Arsenal reportedly vying with the Blues for the Ecuadorian's signature.
In light of reports of an offer for Valverde, it's worth noting that Chelsea need to raise significant funds this summer to keep spending.
The Blues are currently on the FIFA Financial Fair Play Watch List after they spent more than £600m recently under Todd Boehly over the past two transfer windows. Fortunately, Chelsea have plenty of players who can make them a quick buck, including Kai Havertz, who is said to be a Real Madrid target.
The German player is valued at more than £50 million by the Blues but Los Blancos have no intention of paying that figure even though they are keen to replace Karim Benzema.
Havertz is said to be ready to leave Chelsea this summer and if their interest in Valverde is indeed legitimate, the Blues will certainly include him in the deal to keep the potential price low.
In addition to midfielders, Chelsea are also looking for a new striker after Pochettino decided he was not interested in signing Joao Felix on a permanent transfer from Atletico Madrid.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0