Royal Antwerp midfielder Alhassan Yusuf said he would love to play in the Premier League and is setting his sights on a Liverpool or a Manchester City, as he told ScoreNigeria.
Remember in the mid-to-late 2000s, when it seemed like every deep-lying midfielder capable of putting in a tackle was being compared to Claude Makelele?
Something similar is happening these days, with another belligerent Chelsea ball-winner setting the standard for so-called ‘number sixes’ all across the continent.
21-year-old Yusuf, like so many in his position, has been labelled the ‘new N’Golo Kante’ on the back of some superb performances over in Sweden for IFK Goteborg.
And he is certainly living up to that nickname since moving to Belgium in a £1.3 million deal this summer, averaging 3.7 successful tackles per game for his new club – more than Kante has managed since that title-winning debut season at Leicester City (WhoScored).
Is Alhassan Yusuf the real deal?
Yusuf was linked with the likes of Leeds, Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rangers before joining Royal Antwerp.
Given how many players have made the journey from Belgium to England in recent seasons – including Sander Berge, Wesley Moraes, Leandro Trossard and the stylistically similar Wilfred Ndidi – don’t bet against Yusuf following in their footsteps before long.
“The dream is very much on course. I hope to play there (in England) sooner rather than later after I would have proved myself in Belgium.
“I love the expansive football of Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City.”
Wolves were reported to have offered £6.3 million for Yusuf back in 2020, the youngster describing interest from the Black Country giant as ‘an honour’.
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