Ferdinand defends Haaland after "scandalous" criticism amid Man City exit plan
Rio Ferdinand has hit out at some of the "scandalous" claims that have been levelled at Erling Haaland after the Manchester City striker bagged five goals in Tuesday night's 7-0 triumph over RB Leipzig.
Haaland took his tally to the season to 39 overall with his remarkable haul in the one-sided Champions League encounter as Pep Guardiola's side cantered into the tournament quarter-finals. Despite his stunning goal tally, some people have questioned whether playing with an orthodox striker like Haaland has had a detrimental affect on City this season.
But Ferdinand believes that the 22-year-old's latest goalscoring feat should scotch any suggestion that City are a worse team with him in the side once and for all.
He told BT Sport after Tuesday night's match: "What Haaland is doing in football right now is astonishing. When he’s playing like this in the team, they [City] are absolutely dominant. He gives the feeling as long as everyone else is a 7/10 and he’s here [then] 'we win'.
"He brings a superpower to the team and this is already a supercharged team with exceptional talent, and there’s a hunger and desire in his play above everything else. Scandalously, I’ve heard people say he [negatively] impacts the way this team plays. 39 goals in the season… he only makes this team better."
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City fended off interest from a host of elite European sides to acquire Haaland's services in a £52million deal last summer following his prolific stint in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund. But the fact that Haaland has only been at the Etihad for a matter of months hasn't prevented City's No.9 from being linked with a move elsewhere.
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Erling Haaland scored five goals against RB Leipzig (Getty Images)Noise over a potential move to Real Madrid refuses to go away and the striker's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, was highly complimentary about the Spanish giants earlier this month before outlining that she's always thinking ahead by plotting future moves for all her clients.
Speculation surrounding Haaland is nothing new; Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has previously admitted that the striker, through no real fault of his own, eventually became a "dressing room burden" due to the constant transfer speculation that surrounded him.
K ehl previously told German publication BILD: “As much as we always loved Haaland and he was successful with us, in the end, he became a burden on the dressing room, the club and the whole environment.
"He had become the subject of every conversation. Outside the club, almost everything was exclusively focused on him. In the end, the timing of the transfer was right for both parties. And we are all happy for Erling that he continues to be so successful."
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