Is Erling Haaland the first superstar in his prime to join the Premier League and succeed instantly?

[northstandgiveusasong]

Few days ago, I watched Sky Sports' pre-match talk ahead of Man City vs. Leeds game. In the studio, Jamie Redknapp & Micah Richards talked about Erling Haaland & how phenomenal of a footballer he is.

During their conversation, Redknapp said something interesting that really caught my attention.



At first, I genuinely believed that Jamie Redknapp was 100% delusional and only made that statement to get reactions from people like myself. But after a while, I really thought about it and I've to admit Jamie Redknapp was actually spot-on for once in his career as a pundit...

The Premier League has extremely rarely been the main destination for the absolute best players in the world at the height of their careers when making a move. If anything, some of the best Premier League players at the peak of their powers have moved on aboard such as Cristiano Ronaldo (1st stint), Suarez, Beckham, Owen, RvN, Coutinho (1st stint), Henry, Hazard, Bale (1st stint) etc.

We've never seen the likes of Lewandowski, Messi, Neymar, Maradona Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Buffon, Totti, Roberto Baggio, Maldini, Cruyff and many other generational talents in their prime coming to the Premier League. I believe Erling Haaland is the rare exception.

Nearly every foreinger who's regarded as a superstar & one of the best players in Premier League history, were not rated as superstars when they arrived to England. The likes of Cristiano (1st stint), Thierry Henry, Salah, Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Sergio Aguero etc. fits in that category were all great players in the category.

Do you agree the notion of Haaland being the 1st superstar in prime to come to Premier League and succeed instantly?

George Weah...;)

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

He is.

Big ears called it the day he signed. ‘It’s a seminal moment in PL history. Never before has a club in the PL signed a player over Real or Barca. A superstar’

He’s come here and smashed it instantly.

 

[mackenzie]

Yes. Absobloodylutely.

 

[LongsightM13]

How soon they forget…

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Erling is about four years away from being in his prime yet.

 

[Cityfan]

Veron was a pretty big buy in his day.
Schevchenko was a major star.
Pogba was reckoned by some to be the successor to Messi & Ronaldo.
Ardiles was a serious player who succeeded.
Kaka bottled it.

 

[SSBlue]

I've posted this previously ... but seeing a young Spanish lad in a small Spanish town with a Man City Haaland shirt in August 2022 was when I realised we'd signed a genuine world superstar.

As regards the OP, I'd say Bergkamp, Henry and Klinsmann were genuine world stars (although Henry took time to get going having started out wide). I also thought Shearer could have played in any country he wanted if he hadn't had his Newcastle fixation.

Haaland is already up there with all of them.