Man Utd: £4m error 'one of biggest transfer fails of all time' at Old Trafford

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·24 September 2023

Man Utd: £4m error 'one of biggest transfer fails of all time' at Old Trafford

Manchester United missing out on the chance to sign Erling Haaland is one of the 'biggest transfer fails' ever, journalist Dean Jones revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

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Haaland had been linked to the Red Devils and Jones believes United still haven't recovered from missing out on the Norway international's signature.

Manchester United transfer news - Erling Haaland

It's difficult to believe, given the success he's already had with Manchester City, that had things gone differently for Haaland, he could've been lining up on the opposite side of town. A scorer of 52 goals in his maiden season with the Blues and widely regarded as the player who helped City unlock their Champions League hoodoo, Haaland has settled into English football perfectly, much to the dismay of those inside the United boardroom.

According to an interview with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in The Athletic, it's claimed the Norwegian coach pushed hard to sign Haaland - who was at the time a teenager - while in charge of United. Having worked together at Eliteserien outfit Molde, Solskjaer was well accustomed to the striker's talents and wanted to snatch his signature before any of Europe's big clubs had the chance themselves.

It's claimed by Solskjaer that the Greater Manchester outfit could've bought Haaland off Molde for £4 million back in 2018, but a deal was unable to be completed. Instead, the attacker signed for Red Bull Salzburg, before making the move to Borussia Dortmund and eventually ending up at Manchester City for a mere £51 million in the summer of 2022.

A costly mistake, not least because of the striker woes United faced during that time, there are now suggestions that United's failure to wrap a deal for Haaland up early doors will go down as one of the all-time transfer fails.

What has Dean Jones said about Erling Haaland and Manchester United?

When asked about the news story which claimed United missed out on Haaland as a teen, journalist Jones admitted he wasn't shocked because of how the club is run, but did suggest it's a mistake they'll forever live to regret. Hinting that United's trajectory could've been completely different had they signed Haaland, the reliable reporter has questioned whether they'll ever get over the mishap.

On the Haaland rumours, Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“Maybe it's one of the biggest transfer fails of all time, but they did give it a go. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did go out to Norway with the intention to get that deal done, but he came back without him and ever since it feels like United have struggled to live up to that moment. It might be the worst journey back ever made from trying to sign a player that one, but they have got Rasums Hojlund now so at least his name sounds a little bit like him. Now they need to start scoring goals like him too.”

What else has Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said about Manchester United right now?

During the interview with The Athletic, Solskjaer didn't hold back with his criticism of the club. Calling out their much-maligned owners, the Glazers, for mistreatment of the training ground and the stadium, Solskjaer labelled his spell in charge as the 'worst time' to be United boss.

On his three-year spell at Old Trafford, Solskjaer said:

“I feel very, very privileged and honoured to have been the manager, but City and Liverpool, sorry to say, have had the best years they have ever had. We never had that when I was a player. We had Arsenal, but that was it. You have to hold up your hands sometimes and say, ‘Yeah, they (City and Liverpool) were good.’ We got second and we got third. We still have an unbeaten away record in the Premier League, and that says something. "But the competition gets harder and harder. It’s more and more difficult to stay at the top. All the other teams get more and more money. Every game is a hard one, but there was probably never a worse time to be the manager of Manchester United. "Old Trafford is neglected. The training ground has been neglected. We need to catch up with the other teams.”

What's next for Manchester United on the pitch this season?

Things aren't going too well for Solskjaer's replacement right now either, with Erik ten Hag's side having endured a torrid start to the campaign. Wednesday night's defeat against Bayern Munich was their fourth of the campaign so far, with the pressure already mounting on the Dutch manager's shoulders.

Saturday night's visit to Burnley should provide the respite ten Hag and Co. require, as the Red Devils aim to put an end to a run of three straight defeats. Following that, it's back-to-back clashes against Crystal Palace, firstly in the League Cup, before a meeting in the Premier League five days later.