Haaland makes Lionel Messi admission and sends rivals TERRIFYING message

Robin Bairner

9 Sept 2023 11:26 BST
4 min read

Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi — © ProShots

Erling Haaland may be coming off a debut campaign with Manchester City in which he scored 56 goals, but he has sent a warning to the club’s Premier League rivals when detailing the aspects of his game he believes he can improve.

Article continues under the video

Haaland is one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or after a record-breaking first season with Pep Guardiola’s men, in which he claimed the Premier League Golden Boot by setting a new record mark of 36 goals for the campaign.

He has started the 2023/24 campaign in impressive style, netting six goals already, including a hat-trick against Fulham in Man City’s last outing.

Transfer News Today: Salah Saudi move still ON, Modric LASHES out, Pepe FINALLY finds a club

Despite this formidable record, though, he believes there is even more to come.

Speaking to L’Equipe, he replied when asked what he can improve: “I'll tell you: a little bit of everything. But primarily my heading game and my right foot. My left foot, I can always do better but we can say that it is OK, right!?

“I would also like to improve further in dribbling. It's not easy because we play every three days but, with Pep, we work on very small details which allow us to progress every week.”

MORE: Brighton teen Ferguson is Haaland's perfect Man City PARTNER

Indeed, when he was asked what attribute he would take from another player he gave a definite answer.

“I wish I had Messi's dribbling. It's quite a good choice, isn't it?” he said.

Is Haaland vs Mbappe the new Messi vs Ronaldo?

Haaland rejected, however, that the era of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is over and that football is in a new era when he and PSG star Kylian Mbappe will go head to head.

“That's what everyone seems to think. But be careful, we must emphasise to what extent Messi and Cristiano have done crazy things,” he said.

“We also have to remember that they still do it, because even if they get older, obviously, they remain fantastic players.

“I feel privileged to have been able to observe two champions as extraordinary as them. But, to come back to your question, I never talk about myself against other players, it's not my way of being or of seeing things. I focus on myself, I only try to be better every day, to continue having fun in what I do and to be the best version of myself.”