“Haaland surpasses Giggs and dreams of being the king of the Premier League.”

The reign of Alan Shearer as the all-time top scorer in the Premier League seems unshakeable, but the race for glory is more intense than ever. While Harry Kane was leaving the Premier League for Bayern Munich, temporarily stepping away from the assault on the record, another name began to shine brightly: Erling Haaland. The Norwegian forward is scoring goals at an impressive rate and has already surpassed legends like Ryan Giggs, now set to challenge Sadio Mané and, who knows, perhaps even threaten the giants at the top of the table.

Shearer, the undisputed king, reached the incredible mark of 260 goals in the English league, a number even more remarkable considering that much of his first professional season was before the Premier League era, playing for Southampton. Wayne Rooney, second on the list, amassed 208 goals, nearly all in the Premier League, while Kane surpassed Rooney in the 2022-23 season, now totaling 213 goals, 47 behind the all-time record holder.

Mohamed Salah, the star of Liverpool, despite having recently renewed his contract, announced that this season will be his last at Anfield. The Egyptian has scored 193 goals, 67 shy of the top spot, and is 16 goals behind Wayne Rooney and 20 behind Harry Kane, indicating that he will leave the club in fourth place on the league’s all-time scoring list. The real question is whether Erling Haaland will remain at Manchester City long enough to surpass these legends. At just 25 years old and holding the record for the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League, the Norwegian has the potential to challenge Alan Shearer—even if his scoring average slows down, he could still be among the greatest until 2032.

The Premier League has seen other historic names like Heung-min Son, now in MLS, and Jamie Vardy, who has moved to Serie A, while Raheem Sterling is the only active player with over 100 goals, alongside Salah and Kane. Who is close to reaching that mark? Callum Wilson has 93 goals, Chris Wood has 92, and Danny Welbeck has entered the top 50 with 86 goals, while Ollie Watkins and Gabriel Jesus are just a few steps away from joining this exclusive list.

This battle for the top of the Premier League’s scoring chart keeps fans on the edge of their seats and promises many more exciting chapters, with young stars challenging historical records and rewriting the history of English football. What does the future hold for us? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the race for the most iconic goals in the Premier League is far from over.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.