Manchester United have been slammed for missing out on Erling Haaland, with that proving to be "one of biggest transfer mistakes of the last decade".
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Norwegian coach wanted to sign fellow countrymanRed Devils unable to put a deal in placeStriker starring for arch-rivals on long-term contractFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils have been in the mix to secure Haaland’s signature at various intervals over the course of his career. Fellow Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who worked with the powerful frontman at Molde, wanted to see a prolific performer join him at Old Trafford.
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No deal was ever done, with Haaland going on to represent Borussia Dortmund before ending up in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium in 2022. He is a now a Premier League, Champions League and Golden Boot winner, with 114 goals recorded for City through 130 appearances.
Getty ImagesWHAT LOUIS SAHA SAID
Ex-United frontman Louis Saha has told when asked about Haaland’s recent penning of a lucrative 10-year contract: "As a Manchester United fan, I was gutted when Manchester City and Haaland announced that he was signing a new bumper contract. I was really upset that he didn’t sign for Manchester United when Ole was there – I know that we could have had him and that looks like one of biggest transfer mistakes that United have made in the last decade!
"As a football fan, I’m pleased that he has committed his best years to the Premier League. As I said, when you look around the division for world-class strikers; superstars, I think he’s the only one. I’m glad that we will get to enjoy him in the Premier League and that he won’t be joining Real Madrid or Barcelona. I'm very pleased that the Premier League can still be the main attraction when it comes to excitement during the season and also the main attraction for top, top players.
"I also like the commitment from him and his club. They’re in it for the long-haul to win trophies and the news will give everyone associated to Man City a boost because of all of the issues that are happening behind-the-scenes. I also like his loyalty. It’s a huge contract, but it is deserved. I also don’t think there’s any danger that after signing a deal like that, Haaland’s desire will falter. He looks determined to smash all the goalscoring records in the Premier League."
WHAT NEXT?
United will be watching Haaland in that quest wondering what could have been. He already has 81 Premier League goals to his name from 89 appearances and remains in the hunt for more major honours as the Red Devils scratch around for consistency under Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim and face more questions of whether they have a suitable No.9 to lead their line.
