Molde may have found the new Erling Haaland – and it’s his cousin, Albert Tjaaland.
The 17-year-old, who has plundered 64 goals in 37 games for the Norwegian giants’ youth side, is set for a promotion to the first team, according to ESPN.
Haaland got his breakthrough at the club in 2017, turning out for Molde’s second team before catching the eye of then boss of the main side Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Haaland was under Solskjaer’s wing for the entire 2018 campaign, netting 12 goals in 25 league games as Molde finished second in the table.
Red Bull Salzburg then took a chance on the teenager after a mix-up at Manchester United saw them miss out on the transfer – and, ultimately, a reunion between Haaland and Solskjaer.
The rest is history, as Haaland’s goalscoring went to new heights in Austria, with his poacher’s instincts in the Champions League convincing Borussia Dortmund to pounce.
It is too early to tell whether Tjaland will follow in his older cousin’s footsteps, but like Haaland, he has a similarly imposing frame and also cut his teeth at Norwegian lower-league side Bryne, scoring 40 goals in 31 matches season before joining Molde.
ESPN has claimed that current boss Erling Moe is willing to play Albert Tjaland during the team’s season opener on April 5.
Moe has called for caution about comparing Tjaland to Haaland and told Eurosport: ‘I have seen some of it (hype) on social media.
‘He (Tjaland) is an exciting young boy who really has some exciting qualities, so I think it must be possible to calm down a bit, yes.
‘It’s a bit like that when you post something on social media at the moment, it spreads like wildfire.’
‘He has a great future ahead of him if he does the everyday things 100 percent and properly.
‘I think Erling is a few steps ahead yet.’
