Ilkay Gundogan says his “special” Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland can be a future contender to win the Ballon d’Or.
Since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in June, Haaland has scored 20 goals in 13 appearances and become the first player in Premier League history to score hat-tricks in three consecutive home games, the last of which came against rivals Manchester United in a 6-3 thrashing.
The 22-year-old was 10th in the 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings as Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema was named the best player in the world for the first time on Monday.
Gundogan believes Norway international Haaland has all the attributes to land the prestigious award.
“There is quality, everyone can see it,” Gundogan told City’s official website. “There is a lot of quality that he already brings, into our team, into his game.
“But also, the way he is dealing with things that are important to him and the mentality, the determination he has on a match day and also in the training sessions in the locker room. I think that is something special.
“On top of that he is humble. He knows he has to work hard to get where he is right now and to even get to better places.
“I’m sure that all this together will just improve him more and more, not just this season but in the next few years.
“It will make him an incredible player. He is already one, but he will just get better and I think this will increase his chances to win the Ballon d’Or.”
@ErlingHaaland pic.twitter.com/J7X575o9cj
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 19, 2022
