Aursnes causes a stir beyond Benfica: the world's most underrated player | OneFootball

Fredrik Aursnes continues to attract admirers in Portugal and abroad. This time, the Benfica Norwegian international was the target of glowing praise in the press of his home country, where he was once again highlighted not only for his quality on the pitch, but also for his close relationship with Erling Haaland.

The friendship between the two internationals dates back to 2017, during their time at Molde. Aursnes was already part of the first team when Haaland took his first steps in senior football, eventually developing a close relationship with the current Manchester City striker. Their paths split in 2018, when Haaland moved to RB Salzburg, but the bond between them has remained over the years.

Ruben Gabrielsen, a former teammate of both players, offered words that are echoing across European football. The defender was emphatic. "I didn’t expect them to become the best striker in the world and the most underrated footballer in the world, respectively", he said in comments to the Norwegian newspaper VG.

The centre-back also recalled the dressing-room days he shared with the two Norwegian internationals. "You could tell they had talent and were really good," he said, before pointing out the differences between them. "They are very different, but they have a great sense of humour. Both take up a lot of space on the pitch. They would get excited and could even get upset. Haaland was only interested in scoring. If he didn’t score, he would be furious", he admitted.

Haaland’s influence on Aursnes’s career is still very much present. In recent months, the Benfica midfielder revealed that he consulted the Manchester City striker before deciding to return to the Norway national team. Now, while Haaland continues to rack up goals, Aursnes keeps earning praise and cementing his status as one of the most respected figures — and, for many, one of the most underrated — in European football.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.