Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit back at Alan Shearer after claiming that Harry Kane could score as many goals as Erling Haaland.
Man City signed Haaland this summer from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund after failing to secure Kane’s signing last summer.
According to The Guardian, City were willing to offer €150m for the England captain, but Tottenham Hotspur were unwilling to listen to any offer.
Having arrived in Manchester, Erling Haaland has shattered the English Premier League with his ferocious form.
Harry Kane vs. Erling Haland
Last year, the Premier League champions triggered Erling Haaland’s £51m release clause to bring him to England. Despite struggling in the Premier League, the Norway international has scored 20 goals in just 13 games in all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side. He is also the top scorer in the league with 15 goals.
Although Haaland is a huge success for City, Guardiola is believed to have preferred Harry Kane over him. The English striker was desperate to leave his boyhood club. But Daniel Levy forced him to stay.
After the arrival of Antonio Conte, the situation changed. Kane is currently the second highest scorer with Ivan Toney with 8 goals to his name. Although Haaland is leading the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, Kane has other thoughts.
He spoke: “Everyone talks about Haaland because he’s had an amazing start to the season, and rightfully so. As you know me, I don’t focus on too many people, I focus on myself and what I can do.”
Alan Shearer vs. Pep Guardiola
But recently, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, Alan Shearer, made a big claim while writing for The Athletic. The former Newcastle man spoke: “If Harry was in this city team, he would be scoring as many goals as Erling.”
In his opinion, the City team is a “dream country” for any striker. He wrote that any striker can score 40 goals and Erling Haaland can score more.
But Guardiola responded coolly when asked by a reporter what he thought of Shearer’s comments on Friday afternoon.
The manager said, “I don’t know. I don’t have the ability to know what would happen if Harry Kane were here. Alan was a striker, maybe he knows that better than me.”
But he did take a dig at the former England superstar. He spoke about Haaland’s form: “These types of players always score goals in his career.”
Harry Kane’s contract with Tottenham has two years left. The Lilywhites hope to tie him to a new contract for him to stay beyond 2024.
