Steve Nicol has said that Real Madrid should ditch their reported pursuit of Kylian Mbappe in order to sign Erling Haaland instead.
Speaking to ESPN FC, the outspoken pundit was quizzed about whether Carlo Ancelotti’s side should try to bring the Manchester City superstar to the Spanish capital instead of the World Cup winner.
Steve Nicol believes Erling Haaland would be a better fit, both as a player and as a character at Real Madrid instead of Kylian Mbappe.
Steve Nicol says Real Madrid should sign Erling Haaland instead of Kylian Mbappe
Branded as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola, the 23-year-old is widely considered as the best striker in the world.
The Norwegian frontman remains the Premier League’s top scorer this season and in the previous term, he bagged a staggering 52 goals in 53 games whilst also going on to win the treble.
When quizzed about whether Real Madrid should opt to sign Erling Haaland instead of Kylian Mbappe, Steve Nicol was a fan of the idea.
“It would be [amazing to see Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland reunited] and also, Vini would go back to the left [wing]. You just get a feeling that Mbappe would go there and mess it up. He seems to be ‘me, me, me’, so I think, I would rather, if I’m a Real Madrid fan, I would rather see that”, he said.
“I would rather see Haaland at centre-forward and Vini back on the left and Bellingham coming from the middle of the park. I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”
Erling Haaland should stay put at the Etihad Stadium
Considering Real Madrid are expected to try and sign Kylian Mbappe next summer as well, Erling Haaland is unlikely to leave Manchester City, especially by then, which may perhaps disappoint Steve Nicol.
The former Borussia Dortmund goalscorer is contracted to City until 2027 and more importantly, he is playing for the best team in the world.
To add to that, Pep Guardiola’s current deal also expires in 2025 and under his presence, the Sky Blues are likely to maintain their dominance.
Especially if Guardiola also extends his contract, Haaland has no reason to leave the Etihad Stadium for any other club in Europe.
