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Frank Lampard claims he ‘pushed big’ to sign Erling Haaland for Chelsea in 2019.
Frank Lampard has disclosed how close he came to signing current Manchester City star Erling Haaland during his first spell as Chelsea manager in 2019.
The legendary Blues player, who has returned to Stamford Bridge to serve as temporary manager, will face prolific Norwegian forward Haaland on Sunday when the team travels to Manchester City.
Haaland has been a revelation for City this season, scoring 52 goals in a record-breaking campaign, but he may have ended up in West London instead of the North West if Lampard had been successful in getting his transfer request accepted when the imposing forward was still on the roster of Red Bull Salzburg.
Lampard, who coached against Haaland in a pre-season friendly, has said of his recruitment pleas that fell on deaf ears: “He’s a player I tried to bring to Chelsea, his level at that point was very clear. Credit to him, I love seeing players at that level with the hunger to be the best. From our point, I was pushing it, I’m not sure what the appetite was elsewhere. The competition was big, I think there was a buyout clause that was relatively reasonable maybe considering the player. I don’t know the details. 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 worked alongside plenty of fearsome forwards in his playing days, including Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, but he is reluctant to compare modern-day sensation Haaland with iconic figures from the past. The Blues boss added: “I couldn’t compare him to Didier, but Didier had that impact over a long period of time. Haaland’s impact has been more instant. I don’t think it’s a direct comparison, but they’re both great strikers.”
With 36 goals and counting, Haaland has broken the record for the most Premier League goals in a single season. His contributions have helped City remain in contention for an illustrious triple.
In contrast, Lampard is back at Chelsea after a disastrous season in which they finished in the bottom half of the standings despite spending almost £600 million ($747 million) on new players.