‘It would be fantastic to see Haaland in the Premier League’ – Norway captain Johansen

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Erling Haaland would be a fantastic addition to the Premier League, according to Norway captain Stefan Johansen, who wants to see the Dortmund forward switch to England.

Having only moved to the Bundesliga side little over 12 months ago, Haaland has already established himself as one of the players to watch in the world game.

READ MORE: From Chelsea to Barcelona: Ranking the 10 contenders to sign Haaland

This term alone, he has scored 31 goals in 29 games and further enhanced his reputation on Tuesday by netting twice as Dortmund drew 2-2 with Sevilla to move into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Consequently, there is a string of clubs following him. Agent Mino Raiola claims that there are as many as 10 sides interested in the 21-year-old.

From the Premier League, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all been credited with an interest.

“He’s a phenomenal talent,” Johansen told TalkSport of Haaland.

“He’s at a fantastic club now… but for him to come to the Premier League would be fantastic, he’s strong and fast, he’s a horrible player to play against. I hope one day we will see Erling in the Premier League.

“The mental part as well. You don’t have mental strength if you don’t deliver for a club like Borussia Dortmund. He’s their most important player and that’s a huge responsibility to have at 20 years old.”

Haaland’s record at Borussia Dortmund

Former Celtic midfielder Johansen has been especially impressed by Haaland’s attitude.

“The first time Haaland came to the national team, there were so many expectations,” he said.

“He’s a big character in the dressing room already at a young age. He took the stage straight away, he’s a top, top player already. He has that aura about him, the way he plays gives other players confidence. He’ll help take Norway to the next level.

“The way he speaks to the media is his style. He’s been like that since he was 17, 18… people find his interviews funny, they go viral.”

Haaland has scored 47 goals in 47 games for Dortmund and is only liable to leave should they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.