Oscar Bobb has taken the limelight on Manchester City’s tour of the United States so far.
The 21-year-old Norwegian has laid on a pair of assists for his illustrious countryman Erling Haaland and also got on the scoresheet against Celtic.
Bobb produced a man-of-the-match showing in City’s 3-2 defeat to AC Milan at Yankee Stadium, with his display drawing comparisons to another winger who dazzled jinking inside from the right flank in sky blue.
Speaking to reporters after the match, the youngster was flattered by talk likening him to Riyad Mahrez but insisted his guiding inspiration is one of his current team-mates… and perhaps not the one you’d think, given his nationality.
All the latest EPL club news | Team-by-team Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings
“Woah – that’s a big compliment [the Mahrez comparison]. I’ll take it of course. I’ve been watching all the City games for the last 10 years – so if you say so jeez, then I’ll take it,” Bobb said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.
“For me, it’s always Bernardo [Silva] – I always look at him. I try to emulate some parts of his game but do my own thing as well.”
Having the next Bernardo Silva potentially waiting in the wings would be no bad thing for Pep Guardiola, given the Portugal star has been persistently linked with moves away from the Etihad Stadium over recent summers.
How long is Bernardo Silva’s contract?
However, the 29-year-old is set to remain in Manchester into the final two years of his current contract after a reported €50million release clause expired at the end of June. His most recent extension with City was penned until June 2026.
Silva is not part of City’s touring squad in the USA, with Pep Guardiola having granted all players who reached at least the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 or the Copa America extended leave.
It has left the stage free for the likes of Bobb to shine. He will be keen to do so on Tuesday in Orlando against Barcelona — another of his footballing inspirations.
“I liked watching the best dribblers as a kid, the best attacking players,” he added. “I watched a lot of Barcelona when the manager was there – all the players he had. Messi, Iniesta. We had La Liga at home so I watched all the Barca games together with my mum.”