Better Than Isak & Haaland - Hasselbaink Names Premier League's Best Finisher Right Now

 Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink knows a thing or two about goalscoring. The former Netherlands international netted 127 Premier League goals in the 1990s and 2000s.

Only 15 players in history have scored more Premier League goals than the Dutch striker, who played for Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic in England’s top division between 1997-2007. The 53-year-old also won two Premier League Golden Boot awards.

Hasselbaink entered the cutthroat world of football management after retiring and coached four clubs, including Queens Park Rangers and Burton Albion. He then worked with the England national team between 2023-2024 after being hired by his ex-Middlesbrough teammate Gareth Southgate.

With all that said, Hasselbaink is in an excellent position to judge strikers. The former Netherlands star, while speaking on the John Obi Mikel podcast recently, has been keeping a close eye on the Premier League’s current best strikers - and also named the player he believes is the division’s best finisher right now.

Hasselbaink's Verdict on Haaland and Isak

Dutchman explained the differences between them

First, Hasselbaink explained why Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is the best one-touch finisher in the Premier League, but that Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who is being linked with a £130 million move to Liverpool, is superior in other situations.

“Isak is a natural finisher,” he explained. “Haaland is a one-touch finisher. If you look at the goals that he scores, it’s unbelievable but his movement is quickly in front, one touch finish. That is where he is the best. He smells where he needs to be. He anticipates. That is amazing.

“But if you go for one v one and you’re running at a goal, and you have Isak… he finds the corners. If you see Haaland sometimes, when he has three or four touches and then finishes, it’s not always as clean as when he had a one-touch finish.”

Hasselbaink Names Premier League Best Finisher

His choice surprised John Obi Mikel

Hasselbaink then surprised Mikel by naming the Premier League’s current best finisher. The Dutchman explained why Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is the best in the business right now.

“The best finisher at the moment, I think, and he’s not an out-and-out striker, is Cole Palmer,” Hasselbaink added. “He’s so calm in front of goal. Have a look. He passes the ball into the net.” Watch the clip below:

The clip has gone viral on X (Twitter) in the aftermath of Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final. Palmer was named Man of the Match after netting two exquisite goals - both of which were essentially passes into the net, just as Hasselbaink had highlighted.

As a result of his performances in the United States, Palmer is now an outsider for the coveted Ballon d’Or award. The 23-year-old will be aiming to improve on his tally of 15 Premier League goals scored last season, after netting 22 during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge after leaving Manchester City.