Erling Haaland “loves the Premier League” and can get even better
Erling Haaland can still improve after signing a record deal with Manchester City, says coach Pep Guardiola.
Haaland has won the Premier League Golden Boot in each of his two full seasons at City so far and signed a contract on Friday morning that will keep him at the club until 2034.
Haaland turns 34 this summer and will be confident of overtaking Alan Shearer’s record of 260 Premier League goals if he manages to do so.
Guardiola said: “If he continues with the numbers since he arrived then yes (that is possible). It will depend on the team and him, but it is exceptional news for the club.
“He loves the club and the people he is with. He loves the Premier League and living here with his family. He must feel that there is no better place for him to be in the next ten years.
PEP 💬 Afterwards (Erling Haaland signed his contract) we congratulated each other. It certainly makes me a better manager and better employee. He helps me. pic.twitter.com/C4NyMzwG7m
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 17, 2025
“Of course he can improve. We can all do that. The club and team must create an environment and moments in which he can be unstoppable. Then he is at his best.
“It’s all about understanding the game, during the game and what decisions he has to make.
“He is still young and with the maturity to play games and games, it will happen naturally.”
City have endured a disappointing season by their own standards and go into this weekend in sixth place in the Premier League.
Haaland has scored 21 goals in all competitions but just seven in his last 16 games – slow by his usual ratio.
Shearer himself believes it is only a matter of time before Haaland – who has scored 79 goals in the Premier League so far – catches up with him.
“If he stays that long he will undoubtedly break that record,” Shearer said. “It could belong to someone else by then – like Harry Kane or Mo Salah.
“But there is no doubt, and a big if, because with such a long contract taking him to 34, he should set a Premier League goalscoring record.
“This is good news for the Premier League because we want to have the best players in our league, but not so good for the defenders who will be at his heels for many years to come.”
