Man Utd might’ve made greatest mistake with Erling Haaland miss

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Manchester United could have landed Erling Haaland for just £17million in 2019 but reportedly turned down the opportunity as they didn’t like the terms of the deal. And their failure to get their hands on the blockbuster Norway striker could be their greatest transfer mistake ever.

Haaland came through the ranks at Bryne in his homeland before joining Molde in 2017. And during his two years there, the ace was mentored by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, scoring a goal on his debut for the club as a 16-year-old.

The player then switched to RB Salzburg at the start of 2019, with Solskjaer having already departed the club to take over from Jose Mourinho at United. And his spell in Austria was prolific as he racked-up goal after goal.

Haaland’s form inevitably piqued the interest of the top clubs across Europe. And, according to the Manchester Evening News, Solskjaer flew to Salzburg to meet with Haaland’s camp at the end of 2019.

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Well aware of the impact Haaland could make for the Red Devils, the former Cardiff boss was desperate to reunite with the ace. By the time Haaland had played his last game for the Austrian club, he had accumulated a staggering 29 goals in 27 appearances. But United were unable to get their hands on him.

Haaland’s representatives wanted to secure a share from future sales of the player as part of a transfer deal. But the 13-time Premier League winners were unwilling to meet the demands, with sources saying they were “bad for the industry.” And just 16 days after Solskjaer had travelled to Austria, Borussia Dortmund had announced the signing of Haaland for £17m.

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The now 22-year-old went on to bag an incredible 86 goals and 23 assists in 89 games for Dortmund as he developed into one of the best strikers in the world. And earlier this year, Pep Guardiola managed to persuade him to move to the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland has started his City career in emphatic fashion and notched his second consecutive hat-trick on Wednesday night as the Citizens put Nottingham Forest to the sword. Just four days earlier he had netted three times in a victory over Crystal Palace. And he has now found the back of the net nine times in his first five matches for the Premier League champions.

United would give anything to have a man of Haaland’s talents in their ranks today. And Red Devils chiefs could well be licking their wounds from a transfer mistake that proved as painful as it did sacrificial.

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