Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Erling Haaland confession: We could have bought him for £4m
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that Manchester United said they should buy Erling Haaland for £4m in 2018, but the club have denied this.
Solskjaer said he informed the club about Haaland around six months before he took over at United.
The two had previously worked together at Molde, and Solskjaer was fully aware of Haaland’s enormous potential. However, the young forward joined Red Bull Salzburg and then Borussia Dortmund, making a £51.2m transfer to Manchester City last year.
Haaland, now 22, is undoubtedly one of the stars of world football, but he could have been transferred to replace United’s city rival Manchester City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Photo: DepoPhotos.
“I SAID 6 MONTHS AGO”
As The Sun reported, Solskjaer said: “I called United about six months before I took over and told them we had such a striker, but they wouldn’t listen. I asked for 4 million pounds, but they didn’t transfer it to me.”
First appointed as caretaker manager, Solskjaer later became Manchester United’s permanent manager, leaving in November 2021.
During his time at Molde, Haaland scored 20 goals in 50 games, all under Solskjaer’s guidance. Haaland had an excellent first season in English football, scoring 51 goals in 47 games in all competitions.
HAALAND: “WE TALK TOGETHER, A GOOD PERSON”
After his transfer to Manchester City, Solskjaer sent a congratulatory message to his compatriot, who took a step in the history of English football.
Haaland told the Manchester Evening News: “He sent me a congratulatory message on my transfer to City and wrote: ‘Good luck going to the wrong side of Manchester.’ We talk from time to time. As you know, he had a huge impact on my career while I was at Molde. A good person.”