Man City hitman Erling Haaland told why he wouldn't be as deadly in Chelsea's team by former Blues star as Nicolas Jackson is ranked among Premier League's top three strikers

The Norwegian has once again been on a record-breaking spree in the new campaign as he scored his 100th goal for City in just 105 appearances to equal Cristiano Ronaldo's record with Real Madrid. Haaland has also already taken a march in the Premier League Golden Boot race by scoring 10 goals in just five appearances, six more than Jackson's current tally, and could possibly be on his way to set a new competition record if he continues this form until May.

However, Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes that Haaland's return would have diminished if he had not been in a City side studded with superstars like Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. He "doesn't think" that the striker would have flourished in the same way in Chelsea, who are undergoing a rebuild under Enzo Maresca after a few frustrating campaigns.

In an interview with Genting Casino, when Hasselbaink was asked to name the top three strikers in the Premier League he had little doubt in his mind.

"You have Erling Haaland, you have Alexander Isak and then there is Nicolas Jackson," he stated.

However, he soon went on to question Haaland's efficiency and added: "If you put Haaland in Chelsea’s team, would he score the same number of goals that he’s getting at City? I don’t think he would. How many goals will be provided for Haaland where he could deliver a one-touch finish if he played for Chelsea?"

The former striker continued: "I love Isak as a player. I think he has everything that all the best strikers have. If you put Isak in the Manchester City team, would he score more goals than Erling Haaland? I don’t think he would, but would he make their overall play better? That’s a different question, but we know that Haaland is in the team to finish things off, not create them. They’re all great players, and they all have different qualities."

Hasselbaink went on to compare Jackson and Haaland in greater detail and opined that the Chelsea striker must shine in the Champions League to stake a claim on a similar standing with the Norwegian.

"Jackson and Haaland are similar ages (23 and 24 respectively)," he said. "The major difference is, Haaland has a lot more top-level experience in terms of Champions League football. He’s been playing at that level since he burst onto the scene playing for Salzburg and has stayed there. Jackson has done that.

"That is what Jackson needs to do to be considered one of the best strikers in the world. He needs to be decisive on the pitch and he needs to score goals regularly at the highest level in the game. It’s a big challenge for him, but he has the potential to get there. If Jackson fulfils his potential, he will be a £150 million player. I’m convinced of that."

Both Haaland and Jackson will be in action on Saturday in the Premier League with City taking on Newcastle United at Tyneside and Chelsea hosting Brighton in West London.