De Bruyne: 'Haaland can score 800 goals'

"He has about 200 goals already. Haaland can score 600, 700 or 800 goals if he is healthy and plays at his ability. He is a top scorer," De Bruyne shared with the Daily Mail.

Haaland has scored 24 goals in his first 19 games for City since joining the club in the summer. Due to Norway not participating in the 2022 World Cup, the 22-year-old striker spent four weeks without playing. On December 23, when Man City played their first match after the World Cup, Haaland contributed a goal in a 3-2 victory over Liverpool in the fourth round of the League Cup.

De Bruyne and Haaland have played well since the beginning of the season and are expected to shine when Man City is a guest of Leeds in the round of 16 of the Premier League on the evening of December 28. But now, coach Pep Guardiola has another option for the striker position - Julian Alvarez - 22-year-old striker has just shone, helping Argentina win the World Cup with four goals.

Alvarez signed for Man City in January 2022 but continued to play for Argentine club River Plate on loan. In July, he came to England to play for Man City. Initially, the 22-year-old striker played a backup role for Haaland. However, Alvarez's impressive performance at the World Cup could change his position at Man City and Guardiola is forced to consider using the striker more in the face of tug-of-war from other clubs.

It is not excluded that Alvarez will pair Haaland when he returns to Man City. "From the very beginning, we recognized Julian's talent," commented De Bruyne. "You never know what will happen to the players from South America. But Julian impresses with maturity. I'm happy for him. Maybe he feels he needs to play more. But the more seasons go on, the more Julian will get to play. In fact, he's already scored a few times."