Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hints he offered Manchester United chance to sign Erling Haaland for just £4m
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Published 13/05/2023 at 14:43 GMT
Erling Haaland has been for many observers the best player in Europe so far this season, and could well end the season doing the treble. So far, Manchester United have the Carabao Cup to their name, and their former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that Haaland could have joined United had they taken the chance he offered his club a few years ago.
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Manchester United’s former player and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hinted that he offered the club the chance to sign Erling Haaland for just £4 million.
United were known to be interested in the Norwegian striker when he moved to Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg in 2020, but The Athletic reported quotes from Solskjaer which suggested they may have been able to move for the player when he was even younger.
Solskjaer managed Haaland at Molde - something that gave United confidence they could sign him from the Austrian side - and at an evening on stage, he discussed a player who was almost certainly the striker in question.
The website reported: “Jose Mourinho was the manager at Old Trafford at the time. Ed Woodward was the chief executive and, for reasons unexplained, United chose against signing the player who has now smashed all sorts of scoring records for City this season and could conceivably win the Ballon d’Or.
“I got in contact with United because we had this talented striker who they should have had. But they didn’t listen, unfortunately. Four million, I asked for. But they never signed him. Four million! Don’t ask (where he is now). He’s too good…”
The failure of United to sign Haaland that winter in 2020 led to the club moving for Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon instead, one of the side’s best signings under Solskjaer and perhaps since the retirement of Alex Ferguson.
Solskjaer also suggested that Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, who worked with United when the legendary striker was manager, would one day take over the reins at Old Trafford.
“I mean this with my whole heart: I’m sure he will be the manager of Manchester United one day,” said Solskjaer. “Michael is class, from top to bottom.
"Integrity, loyalty, respect, knowledge; he’s got absolutely everything. I hope we do well with Erik (ten Hag), really hope so, and when he goes that Michael has had enough years for the club to say, ‘Come back, Michael, because we need you’.”
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