Erling Haaland's remarkable goalscoring prowess can be compared with that of footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Pep Guardiola.
The Manchester City manager was reacting to the news that Haaland has signed a 10-year contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the end of the 2033/34 season, a few weeks before he turns 34.
"It is exceptional news for all of us," said Guardiola, at his pre-match press conference for Man City's Premier League trip to Ipswich Town.
"When one player signs this kind of contract that’s never been done before, it shows how much he wants to be here."
Haaland has scored 79 goals in 87 Premier League appearances for Man City so far. In all competitions for the club, he has netted 111 times in 126 matches.
When asked if Haaland is like this generation's Messi, the player who helped Guardiola to win 14 major trophies as Barcelona boss, Pep replied: "Nobody's like Messi. He's a different type of player.
"Leo has been like Cristiano, I would say. Both have been, for 14 or 15 years, scoring a [large] amount of goals every season.
"Leo can play in different positions and can produce many things for his mates. So Leo is incomparable but I think Cristiano has been there, so close.
"Erling is a different type of player, everybody knows it. But in terms of numbers, scoring goals, they are similar.
"I don't know, at the age Erling is right now, how many goals Leo or Cristiano had scored but it doesn't matter.
"All three, and Kylian Mbappe as well, they have an unbelievable number so all of them are top."
Haaland was in Messi's company when the Argentina icon won his record eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 - the Man City striker was the runner-up, with Mbappe placed third.
Between them, Messi and five-time winner Ronaldo won 13 of the 15 Ballon d'Or awards presented between 2008 and 2023. Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) were the only other players to win it in that period.
What next for Haaland?
Man City face Ipswich Town on Sunday, with the Norwegian hoping to add to his 16 league goals this season and chase down Liverpool star Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot.
Guardiola says Haaland's new deal will only make him extra motivated to score even more goals.
"I don't have the feeling that he's a guy with a contract who says, 'OK, now I have this [contract] I'm going to take a nap'," said Guardiola.
"I don't think that is going to happen. He loves to play and he's a huge competitor. His motivation is to score goals.
"I know he helps us a lot. He's making me a better manager, that's for sure."
On why the Norwegian elected to commit his next decade to playing for Man City, Pep joked: "Maybe the weather here [in England] is better than where he was born?"
Responding more seriously, the City boss said: "Personally, I think what happened is that he loves the club. The people he is around.
"He loves the Premier League. I think he visualised that there is no better place he could be right now."
