Man Utd: Solskjaer reflects on Champions League qualification
As things stand, Manchester United are unlikely to sign a striker. But that could change when the transfer window reopens in January, with Odion Ighalo scheduled to return to parent club Shanghai Shenhua. And Erling Haaland may have already been chosen as the Nigeria international’s replacement, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a huge fan of his compatriot.
Had all gone to plan, Manchester United would have signed Haaland in January.
Solskjaer wanted to sign the Norway international having seen him shine at Red Bull Salzburg, scoring 28 goals from 22 appearances.
The United manager and Ed Woodward both jetted out to Austria to sit down for talks with the striker, who insisted he’d chosen Old Trafford as his next destination.
In the end, however, the Red Devils were rocked.
Haaland opted to leave Salzburg for Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund instead, with the German giants agreeing to agent Mino Raiola’s lucrative demands.
Many saw it as a blow to United. But Solsjaer didn’t seem too bothered when asked about the forward, smiling away and saying: “Well, Dortmund have signed a fantastic boy, I can’t answer more than that.”
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United haven’t cooled their interest in the 20-year-old altogether, with Solskjaer still hoping to one day bring him to Old Trafford.
They didn’t want to agree to Raiola’s demands because they wanted to be in ‘control’. This was claimed by the United boss, who said: “Of course we don’t want to inflate the prices.
“That is important - that we use common sense.
“There are other things, too, when you sign players, that you have to keep in control. You can’t give agents the control by giving buyout clauses and stuff.
“That has been touted around. We have to be in control.”
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