Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic is better than Erling Haaland, the president of the Serbian Football Association has claimed.
The duo, both born in 2000, are considered among the highest-rated young forwards in world football.
However, while Haaland, who recently joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund, has 27 goals in 25 matches across European competitions, Vlahovic has only made three appearances on the continental stage.
But Nenad Bjekovic said, regardless, he prefers his compatriot. Asked to compare the two, he told Tuttosport: “Vlahovic is better and more complete than Haaland.
“The Norwegian has devastating power, but Dusan is not inferior: there is also very little difference in their height.
“But the Juventus forward’s variety and styles of player is better. Manchester City and Juventus paid more or less then same fee, including commissions, to sign the two this year from Borussia Dortmund and Fiorentina.”
Haaland shot to prominence when he netted nine goals in Norway’s 12-0 win over Honduras at the U20 World Cup in 2019. He then scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut for FC Salzburg and has since gone on to break several records at Dortmund.
Vlahovic broke through into the Fiorentina first team in the 2019-20 campaign but it was under Cesare Prandelli in the following season that his goal scoring exploded as he hit 21 in Serie A.
He netted 33 goals in 2021, equalling the Serie A calendar-year goals record set by Cristiano Ronaldo 12 months earlier.