Erling Haaland can still improve after signing a bumper new contract at Manchester City, says manager Pep Guardiola.
Haaland has won the Premier League golden boot in each of his two full seasons with City so far and signed a deal to keep him at the club until 2034 on Friday morning.
Haaland will be 34 that summer and will feel confident of chasing down Alan Shearer’s record of 260 Premier League goals if he sees it through.
Guardiola said “If he continues with the numbers since he arrived, then yes [that is possible]. It will depend on the team and him, but it is exceptional news for the club.
“He loves the club and the people he is around. He loves the Premier League and living here with his family. He must feel there is no better place for him to be in the next 10 years.
PEP 💬 After [Erling Haaland signed his contract] we congratulated each other. He's making me a better manager, better staff that’s for sure. He's helping me. pic.twitter.com/C4NyMzwG7m
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 17, 2025
“Of course he can improve. We all can. The club and the team have to create an environment and moments when he can be unstoppable. That is when he is at his best.
“More than anything it is about understanding the game, during the game and what decisions he has to make.
“He is still young and with maturity of playing games and games it will happen naturally.”
City have had a disappointing season by their own high standards and go into this weekend in sixth place in the Premier League.
Haaland has scored 21 goals in all competitions but only has seven in his last 16 games – slow going by his normal ratio.
Shearer himself believes it is only a matter of time before Haaland – who has 79 Premier League goals to date – catches him.
“If he stays for that long no doubt he will break that record,” Shearer said. “It might be someone else’s by then – like Harry Kane or Mo Salah.
“But there is no doubt if, and a big if, because such a long contract and takes him to 34, he should have a Premier League record goal-scoring wise.
“It’s good news for the Premier League because we want all the best players in our league, not so good for the defenders who are going to be chasing his tail for many years to come.”
