Frank Lampard says he tried to sign Erling Haaland during his first spell as Chelsea manager in a stunning revelation.
Haaland has been rampant for Manchester City this season following his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.
He has scored a staggering 52 goals in all competitions, including a record-breaking 36 goals in the Premier League.
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The Norwegian international will be looking to add to his impressive goal return when his side resume their league campaign at home to Chelsea on Sunday.
The Blues have the chance to win the league title and ahead of the Etihad showdown, Lampard shared his honest thoughts on the 22-year-old phenom.
The Chelsea boss was full of praise for Haaland and even claimed he tried to sign him during his first spell as Chelsea manager.
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Lampard first took charge of the Stamford Bridge outfit in 2019 and wanted the now-Man City superstar at the club.
Asked about the player's impressive goal-scoring numbers, which has seen him score the same amount of goals as the entire Chelsea squad in the league this campaign, he replied: "It’s fantastic from him, the Chelsea side is another story.
"He’s a player I tried to bring to Chelsea, his level at that point was very clear."
The 44-year-old added: "Credit to him, I love seeing players at that level with the hunger to be the best and in terms of dealing with him, you have to have a plan.
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"I'm sure the players have a good awareness of him."
"I don’t know if he would have decided to come anyway but I was a big fan. I was pushing big, he was the outstanding one."
Lampard was also asked to compare his old teammate Didier Drogba to Haaland to which he replied: "Didier had that impact over a long period of time. Haaland is more instant - a credit to him..."
Haaland will be looking to improve his goal tally against Chelsea as Man City seek to claim another league title.
Topics: Frank Lampard, Erling Haaland, Chelsea, Manchester City, Football
Nasir Jabbar