Manchester United club legend and former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once had the inside track on signing all-world striker Erling Haaland. He coached his countryman while manager at Molde, before the Premier League single season scoring record breaker went to RB Salzburg.
Before he then went on to Borussia Dortmund (actually United came close to signing him at this point too), and later Manchester City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed he told the Man United to sign Erling Haaland for just £4 million ? pic.twitter.com/t2b1iuFWED
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) May 13, 2023
Speaking at the “An Evening with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer” event, OGS claimed that Old Trafford missed out on the opportunity to sign Haaland for only £4 million!
“I got in contact with United because we had this talented striker who they should have had,” Solskjaer said.
“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 …”
Yes, you read that correctly, only four million GBP. And Solskjaer had the ear of Haaland at the time too- he was and is friends with the player’s father, who was once his national teammate. Solskjaer told the same story to reporters yesterday too.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær on Erling Haaland: “I called Manchester United six months before I took over and told them that I’d got this striker, this boy Haaland that we had… but they didn’t listen”. ?? #MUFC
“I asked for £4m for Erling. They did not sign him”, told @SunSport. pic.twitter.com/nawVUXYVQh
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 13, 2023
Erling Haaland, oh by the way, made news yesterday too when he was named Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association. He became the first player to ever win the award via unanimous vote.
The former striker nicknamed “the Baby-Faced Assassin also took aim at the Glazer family for being neglectful stewards of the club. He also said the Glazers need to stop dragging their feet when it comes to the sale of the club.
“It needs to be done,” Solskjaer went on to sale at the event.
“Old Trafford is neglected. The training ground has been neglected. We need to catch up with the other teams.”
He’s right, this potential takeover process has been going on since February.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.