Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly considering a swoop for Erling Braut Haaland as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe next summer.
The Borussia Dortmund striker has admirers from all over the continent as his £68m release clause prepares to kick in, with PSG now said to be at the head of the queue for his signature.
Meanwhile, Mbappe has made another flying start to the season with Les Parisiens, but the World Cup winner is largely expected to complete a free transfer to Real Madrid in 2022.
Ahead of both strikers' potential moves elsewhere next summer, Sports Mole provides an in-depth statistical comparison of two of the continent's hottest prospects from last season.
ATTACK
© Reuters
Unsurprisingly, there was very little to separate the two starlets in terms of goalscoring in their respective leagues last term, with Haaland and Mbappe both striking 27 times from 28 and 31 league appearances respectively.
The Frenchman also struck eight times in the Champions League, but record-breaker Haaland hit double figures in last season's European competition in just eight games, while Mbappe scored seven Coupe de France goals as Haaland netted three times in the DFB-Pokal.
Mbappe just about edged Haaland on average shots per game with 3.4 compared to his counterpart's 3.3, while the France international also completed 2.9 dribbles per game compared to Haaland's 1.1, although he was often utilised on the wing by Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino.
The Frenchman was also caught offside on fewer occasions but was dispossessed far more often than Haaland at an average of 1.5 times per 90 compared to a measly 0.4 for the Dortmund man.
DEFENCE
© Reuters
Neither Haaland nor Mbappe are exactly renowned for any sort of defensive prowess, but the Norwegian did rank slightly higher for tackles last term, at 0.3 per game compared to just 0.1 for Mbappe.
The former Red Bull Salzburg starlet was also required to get rid of danger on more occasions as he chalked up 0.6 clearances per game as opposed to just 0.1 for his French counterpart, while both players averaged 0.7 fouls over the course of 90 minutes.
Owing to his 6'4 frame, Haaland's advantages in the height department saw him win 1.3 aerial battles per game while Mbappe only chalked up 0.2, and the Frenchman was cautioned five times over the course of the league campaign, while the Dortmund man picked up just two yellows.
ALL-ROUND PLAY
© Reuters
In keeping with the goalscoring theme, Haaland set up his teammates six times in the 2020-21 Bundesliga season, while Mbappe boasted seven assists last term, although the Frenchman's switch to the flanks must be taken into account.
Furthermore, the PSG man's pass success rate was 8% higher than that of his fellow starlet, as only 72.7% of Haaland's passes came off while Mbappe ended the campaign with an 80.7% success rate.
Mbappe boasting a higher pass success rate is all the more intriguing given that he made over 30 passes per game on average compared to just 16 for Haaland, but neither player is hardly going to be critiqued for their playmaking skills should the goals keep flowing in.
A £68m deal for Haaland appears to be a steal at first glance, but PSG potentially allowing Mbappe to leave for free one year after stalling on a nine-figure offer continues to bewilder many in and around the game.
Ben Knapton
