Barcelona manager Xavi has made a fresh declaration over Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong.
16.05.2022 - 16:13 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester City's new superstar signing reminds Joleon Lescott of a player who famously fell out with Pep Guardiola.
The Blues announced last week that they have agreed a deal in principle to sign Erling Haaland, with the forward having said his goodbyes to Dortmund over the weekend in their final game of the season. City beat off interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona to sign the Norwegian, who is already seen as one of the most exciting talents in world football.
Many are interested to see how Haaland will fit into a team that has played without a No.9 - with considerable success - for the last two years, and there are still those who believe Guardiola does not like working with strikers. Evidence for that theory goes all the way back to the manager's time at Barcelona, when he built a team around a young Lionel Messi rather than the established Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Also read: Premier League offers Pep Guardiola a third chance at Man City glory
As well as being one of the best players in his generation, Ibrahimovic has also been one of the most outspoken and has made it crystal clear that he believes Guardiola does not like strikers or big characters in his dressing room. As Patrice Evra shows, that opinion is accepted by plenty more than a decade on.
Former City defender Lescott is looking forward to seeing Haaland in a City shirt, and believes he has already shown he has the confidence streak of Ibrahimovic that backs himself completely to perform no matter the circumstances. They may be outspoken, but they follow up their talk on the pitch.
“He reminds me of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in that respect — not being afraid to say he wants 50 goals in a season or similar," Lescott told LiveScore. "We’re not used to seeing that
Barcelona manager Xavi has made a fresh declaration over Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong.
Ilkay Gundogan’s future will be determined after the season is over amid speculation that he is set to leave Manchester City this summer. A report has suggested the Germany international, Pep Guardiola’s first signing as Blues boss, will be offloaded in the next transfer window, when he has a year left on his current contract.
Pep Guardiola believes that Manchester City are unfairly criticised for their transfer spending compared to rivals Liverpool and Manchester United.
Aymeric Laporte has joked that he is glad he won't be facing Erling Haaland after Manchester City announced a deal for the Borussia Dortmund striker.