Ex-Liverpool striker John Aldridge thinks his former club should have signed Erling Haaland prior to this move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020.

Haaland has been sensational for Man City following his £51m move to the Premier League from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

The 22-year-old has scored 52 goals in his 48 appearances for Man City across all competitions. This includes 36 goals in 33 Premier League outings. 

The Norway international is now regarded as one of the best forwards in the world and he previously spent time at Molde and Red Bull Salzburg as a teenager.

Aldridge has now recalled watching Haaland in 2019 during the Man City star’s time at Salzburg and he thinks Liverpool ‘made a huge mistake’ not signing him ‘when they had the chance’.

The 64-year-old reckons Liverpool’s decision to sign Takumi Minamino over Haaland ‘has to be their worst yet’.

‘Erling Haaland came onto my radar for the first time in October 2019,’ Aldridge wrote for The Independent.

‘His Salzburg team were playing Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield and a raw Haaland came on midway through the second half.

‘We knew his dad was a decent player who played for Man City and Leeds, even though he was probably more famous for his infamous clash with Roy Keane than what he achieved on the pitch.

‘Yet from the moment his lad came onto the field at Anfield, I knew he was something special.’

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‘He was big, quick and instantly gave the Liverpool defence some problems, scoring a goal a few minutes after he came on.

‘I’m not a scout for Liverpool, but when you have been a striker at the highest level of the game, you know a special player when you see one – and even as a teenager, it was clear that Haaland had whatever IT is.

‘Takumi Minamino was also playing for Salzburg that night, and Liverpool ended up signing him a few months later.

‘Haaland was available for around £23million at that point, as that was the fee Borussia Dortmund paid for him in the same month as Liverpool signed Minamino.

‘While the decision-makers at Anfield have made some great decisions in recent years, signing Minamino over Haaland has to be the worst yet – and that has been confirmed this season.’

Liverpool spent around £7.25m to sign Minamino from Salzburg in 2020. He only managed to score four goals in 30 league appearances for the Premier League giants.

The Japan international impressed while on loan at Southampton but he left Liverpool last summer to sign for AC Monano for a potential total fee of around £15m.

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The article Ex-Liverpool striker rues club’s ‘huge mistake’ to sign £7.25m flop over Man City star Haaland appeared first on Football365.com.