Erling Haaland’s cousin is shining for OH Leuven in the Belgian top flight. Jonatan Brunes is also a striker.
Jonatan Braut Brunes is the cousin of Erling Braut Haaland and also plays football. This season he left Norwegian side Stromsgodset for the Belgian league, where he joined OH Leuven. Brunes, who scored his first goal last Sunday, has made a good start at the club. In the eighth minute, he scored the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against league leaders Gent.
He plays as a centre-forward, and is also tall like his cousin Erling. He is 1.88m, while Erling is 1.94m and they are exactly the same age (23). They are only three weeks apart: Erling was born on 21 July 2000 and Jonatan on 7 August. And they are both left-handed and powerful strikers.
Played together at Bryne
Both played together in the youth academy at Bryne, the Norwegian city where they both grew up. Cousin Erling has gotten his share of fame, although Jonatan had the honor of being the youngest player to make his debut for Bryne. “Erling used to be just a little bit better,” Brunes, who often talks to the City star, tells Nieuwsblad. “He is the best striker in the world, everyone can learn from him.”
OH Leuven is a humble club in the Jupiler Pro League. Belgian coach Marc Brys has two Nordic strikers to find the net. Jonatan Braut Brunes and Iceland’s Jon Dagur Torsteinsson, a good teammate who has helped the Norwegian adapt to the Flemish university town. “Jonatan can score goals for us,” Brys said after his signing.
Brunes has shown his ability in front of goal. He scored two hat-tricks in the same season for IK Start in the Norwegian second division, where he played in 2022, and that’s when scouts from Stromsgodset and several European teams turned their attention to the striker.
He is not the only Haaland family member currently playing professional football. Jonatan’s sister Emma Braut Brunes is a defender for Klepp and their cousin Albert Tjaland is a striker for Molde. Erling is the star of the football family but Brunes will be hoping to prove his worth in Belgium this season.