Erling Haaland joined the Premier League’s fabled 100 club this week after reaching a century of league goals in the division.
It came to the surprise of absolutely nobody to see Haaland head into the ranks, with Manchester City machine having scored at an unprecedented rate.
In fact, the 111 games he required to reach 100 goals smashed the previous 124-game record, held by Alan Shearer. Just 35 players have ever scored 100 goals in the Premier League, but who is in contention to make it 36?
We’ve looked at the active Premier League players closest to joining the club for goalscoring greats.
The ‘nearly 100 club’: Who could be the next Premier League player to reach 100 goals?
Callum Wilson – 92
Callum Wilson is just eight goals from reaching a century in the Premier League, a fine achievement for a footballer whose formative years were spent in the Football League and on non-league loans.
Wilson has netted 92 times in the Premier League across spells at Bournemouth, Newcastle and West Ham. The 33-year-old has had a troubled time with injuries of late, but a recent flurry of goals for the Hammers offers encouragement.
Chris Wood – 91
Chris Wood is also closing in on 100 goals in the Premier League and will become the first-ever player Oceania to achieve the feat if he gets there.
Wood enjoyed the best goalscoring campaign of his top-flight career last season, netting 20 times in the league as Nottingham Forest secured European qualification. Things haven’t been quite as rosy for the 33-year-old this rime around, with Wood without a goal since the opening weekend.
Danny Welbeck – 90
Ageing like a fine wine, there are some suggesting Danny Welbeck could be a wildcard for England’s World Cup squad.
Welbeck has not been capped for the Three Lions since September 2018, but a run of seven goals in 13 league games this season have put the 25-year-old in contention – and closer to the 100 club.
Gabriel Jesus and Ollie Watkins – 76
There’s a significant drop to the next-highest scoring active Premier League players, with Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins tied on 76 goals.
Jesus is a four-time winner of the Premier League but has been impacted badly by injuries across the last two campaigns.
Watkins, in contrast, has been one of the most reliable goal threats in the Premier League in recent years. He’s scored 10+ league goals in each of his five seasons at Villa Park.
Read –Â Every player to have scored 100 Premier League goals as Haaland joins list
See more –Â The fastest players to 100 Premier League goals
