Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha believes the arrival of Erling Braut Haaland at the Etihad Stadium will have a similar impact to that of Cristiano Ronaldo when he returned to Manchester United last summer.
The Citizens announced last week that they have agreed a deal in principle to sign the 21-year-old from Borussia Dortmund, and will activate his £51m release clause on July 1.
Pep Guardiola is now adding one of Europe's deadliest strikers to his squad ahead of next season, and Onuoha believes Haaland will "boost" the Premier League, with his presence to generate a similar aura that Ronaldo's return provided 12 months ago.
Speaking to Sports Mole ahead of the release of his autobiography 'Kicking Back' on May 17, Onuoha said: "Seeing him come to the Premier League, one of the best young talents in the world, I think it's a big boost for the Premier League itself in the same way that it was a big boost for the Premier League to see Ronaldo come back at the start of this season.
"These are players who bring eyes and it's not just necessarily for the teams they play for, it's because that's who they are.
"For City to be able to bring in somebody of that age, there's scope for him to be there for a long time because he's still so young. A 21-year-old coming to the Premier League with this sort of noise around him is truly remarkable."
Although Man United have endured a disappointing 2021-22 season, Ronaldo has been a standout performer in front of goal for the Red Devils, scoring 24 times in 39 appearances across all competitions, including 18 strikes in the Premier League.
Haaland, meanwhile, has finished the campaign with 29 goals and eight assists in 30 appearances across all tournaments, an impressive feat considering he missed large spells of the season due to injury.
The Norway international bid an emotional farewell to the Dortmund supporters in his final game for the club last weekend, and scored a penalty to help the Bundesliga giants win 2-1 on home soil against Hertha Berlin.
Oliver Thomas
