Despite playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, certain Manchester City players tend not to get the credit they deserve.
However, such is the case for every club in the world.
For instance, Rodri named Ilkay Gundogan as a truly underrated player during the PFA Awards 2024.
Ruben Dias also claimed Bernardo Silva was “underrated” despite having been a top player for years.
It is especially interesting to hear the biggest and best players make such claims about their fellow professionals.
Erling Haaland is in his third season at Manchester City and as a result, he perhaps knows the ins and outs of every of his teammate’s playing styles.
Haaland makes fresh claim about Man City teammate Manuel Akanji
The City striker is also aware of how his teammates train, play week in and week out and react to different situations on and off the pitch.
Taking that into account, the 24-year-old must have a special appreciation for certain players at the Etihad Stadium that perhaps the masses do not.
Speaking to ESPN, Haaland was asked to describe his Manchester City teammates in a few words and on the topic of Manuel Akanji, he found an intriguing way to sum him up.
The Norwegian said: “The underrated one.”
Erling Haaland must especially admire Manuel Akanji
Having played with the £180,000-a-week defender for both Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, Haaland must especially admire the Swiss international.
The Leeds-born goalscorer certainly makes a fair claim about Akanji, considering it is remarkable how he is able to play across the back four at a high level and yet, he does not seem to be in the headlines.
The two-time Premier League winner has been a pivotal cog behind Manchester City’s success over the past two seasons.
Akanji quietly goes about his business while bigger names at City like Haaland are widely lauded by fans and pundits alike.
Perhaps it is due to the versatile defender’s understated demeanour or the fact that he does not seem to make a big fuss about his brilliance on and off the pitch that he remains underappreciated by many.