Haaland and Mbappe have long been tipped to do battle over the next decade as they compete for the Ballon d&aposOr. The pair are now expected to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won 12 of the last 14 awards in an era of complete dominance.
The City striker enjoyed an outstanding first season at the Etihad, registering an incredible 52 goals from 53 appearances across all competitions and winning the treble. However he didn&apost have it al his own way and was often spotted exchanging choice words with rival defenders.
The 23-year-old has proven himself to be a powerhouse on the pitch, and was recently asked whether he&aposd be up for harnessing that in a celebrity boxing match – with Mbappe&aposs name specifically mentioned.
No, Im not really into fighting, to be honest, Haaland told the Impaulsive podcast.. I prefer just to speak. So no, not really into fighting and do that kind of things though.
“I like a bit of s**t-talking, of course. But I dont fight.”
Haaland landed his first punch of the Ballon D&aposOr battle by being crowned UEFA Player of the Year yesterday. The Norwegian striker netted an impressive 12 goals as City went on to win the Champions League in June.
City dominated the awards ceremony, with Pep Guardiola named Manager of the Year and Rodri winning Player of the Tournament.
“I feel good,” Haaland said after picking up his award. “I won the treble at 22 years old. I&aposm living the dream, this was my dream when I was young.
“To do this together with my teammates is something special. I&aposm really happy and it gives me so much motivation to keep working to achieve more of the trophy that stood there, and this is also really nice. It&aposs free motivation and I&aposm so happy.”
The transfer window has been a hectic one and City have been busy, with high-profile signings and sales aplenty.
City snapped up Croatian pair Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol from Chelsea and RB Leipzig respectively with the latest addition being Jeremy Doku. Wolves&apos Matheus Nunes then joined the Blues on deadline day. In terms of outgoings, Treble winner Ilkay Gundogan departed for Barcelona, Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez moved to Saudi Arabia, and Cole Palmer completed a shock move to Chelsea.
Our team of City experts will be on top of all the goings-on at the Etihad across deadline day and beyond, and you can get the latest updates and inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community below.
