Erling Haaland Names the Two Players He Idolised When Growing Up - And They're Both Former Man Utd Stars

33 appearances, 40 goals, 1,000 clubs interested in his signature and one transfer to Borussia Dortmund; not bad going for a Leeds-born 19-year-old in his breakthrough season.

Erling Haaland has come out of seemingly nowhere to make his name as one of the most prolific strikers on the continent, so much so that he's only just in the door at Dortmund and he's already being linked with another move away.

If he is to move on again in the summer, though, let's face it. He's not going to Manchester United. That ship sailed when he chose the Bundesliga over the Premier League back in January.

The fact that he has named Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - two former United strikers - as his footballing idols, then, isn't particularly telling with regards to a prospective move to Old Trafford down the line.

It is, however, a pretty painful tease to a fanbase who were crying out for the Norwegian's arrival as recently as three months ago.

"My biggest idol as a child, I had a lot of good players I looked up to," he told Dortmund's YouTube channel. "From Zlatan to Cristiano, these kinds of guys.

"I cannot say one, so I'll say two: Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic."

The quotes aren't particularly indicative of a desire to move to United (as a couple of outlets have suggested), nor is it particularly surprising to hear Haaland name Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic, given that his own game seems to take the best from both legendary frontmen.

Haaland's gangly yet agile and imposing physique have drawn more than a few comparisons to fellow Scandinavian Zlatan, while his pace, power and lethal instinct in front of goal draw frightening parallels to Ronaldo - who many would argue is rivalled only by Lionel Messi as the best forward to ever play the game.

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