The next Erling Haaland is coming to join Liverpool | OneFootball

Liverpool may just have the next Erling Haaland on their hands, and he looks truly extraordinary.

Haaland is now performing amazingly well at the World Cup but he first caught the eye six years ago when he scored nine goals in a single game at the U20 World Cup.

From that moment, it was clear that football had found something special.

Since then, the Norwegian has gone on to become one of the most feared strikers on the planet.

Haaland is simply different. Sometimes watching him feels almost unreal - like he's been built in a lab with one job: putting the ball in the back of the net. The combination of his size, speed and power makes him a nightmare for defenders, and once he gets a chance, he rarely needs a second invitation.

But what makes Haaland so special is that he isn't just a physical freak.

His finishing is what truly separates him. Left foot, right foot, headers, long range—he seems capable of scoring from anywhere. More importantly, his movement and understanding of space are elite. He has an incredible ability to drift into the perfect position and make defenders pay for even the smallest mistake.

That combination of physical ability, movement and ruthless finishing is what makes him arguably the most complete striker in world football right now.

Interestingly, according to Anfield Watch, Liverpool were among the clubs who had the chance to sign Haaland during his early days in Norway. He was offered around to several teams before eventually getting his breakthrough at Molde.

Liverpool may have missed out on that opportunity, but there is now hope that the club could be developing a striker with a similar trajectory of their own.

The academy's Rio Ngumoha has already caught the eye with his performances, and he is now set for a huge chance under Andoni Iraola.

The Spaniard has promised that he's going to be giving young players more opportunities this summer. One of Arne Slot's downfalls last season was the way he overlooked the academy as a way to utilise his options and add further depth to Liverpool's squad.

Iraola is different. He is looking forward to working with the club's academy and pre-season is going to be an opportunity for some of Liverpool's young stars to make an impression.

The attacking positions, where Liverpool have the least amount of depth is going to be one of the most interesting areas to monitor.

With so many key players missing, one striker is going to have their chance to make an impression.

It went somewhat under the radar during the summer, but Liverpool may have pulled off one of the smartest academy signings of the window when they beat Arsenal to the signing of Will Wright last summer.

The teenager had already built a serious reputation at Salford City, scoring more than 40 goals at academy level before making his senior debut for the club at just 16 years old. In fact, only two 16-year-olds featured in the third round of the FA Cup last season - Wright and Rio Ngumoha.

Wright continued his rapid development at Liverpool and became a regular for Liverpool's U21 side last season. The striker averaged a goal contribution every 75 minutes in the Premier League 2. He has also registered eight goal contributions in his last eight appearances before the season ended.

Those are impressive numbers by any standard, but the excitement around Wright comes from more than just his output.

There are obvious similarities between him and Erling Haaland.

Like the Manchester City striker, Wright is a powerful forward who combines size, pace and direct running. He has the physical tools to bully defenders, attack space in behind and turn difficult situations into goalscoring opportunities.

But perhaps the most impressive part of his game is his mentality.

Wright plays with relentless intensity. He constantly looks to stretch defences, never switches off and leads the press with real aggression. He doesn't just wait for chances - he creates problems for opponents through his movement, energy and determination.

The Englishman is very Haaland esque in the way he oozes confidence. He's a very hard-working player on the pitch. The type of player fans love.

There is just something special about him. Very much in the same way as there was something special about Haaland.