SUMMARY
- Before being a manager for Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was coaching his country club Molde.
- Haaland was 18 years old when he was playing for Molde, in 50 matches Haaland provided 20 goals and 6 assists for the team.
After a nearly two-year silence, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the former Manchester United manager, finally sat down for an extensive interview with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and Roy Keane on “The Overlap.” This much-anticipated conversation offered a glimpse into Solskjaer’s perspective on his tenure at Manchester United.
Solskjaer acknowledged the challenges he faced upon returning to his “club of dreams” as manager, inheriting a squad in need of rebuilding. He expressed his belief that progress was evident, highlighting improvements in playing style, signings made, and a shift in club culture.
He also admitted to making mistakes, particularly regarding certain transfer decisions, and expressed disappointment at not achieving more silverware. Solskjaer openly discussed specific transfer decisions, acknowledging that Cristiano Ronaldo’s return, while initially exciting, did not fit seamlessly into his tactical vision.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave Manchester United a bargain deal for Erling Haaland
Being a former manager to his countryman, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed how cheap the current star man of their neighboring rivals was. Before his managerial role for Manchester United, Solskjaer managed his country club, Molde.
While managing at Molde, Solskjaer had Erling Haaland as his key striker. During his spell with Molde aged 18 years old, Haaland bagged 20 goals and provided 6 assists in just 50 matches played across all competitions. With such emphatic results, Solskjaer thought to help his beloved English club by recommending him to them.
“You have to sign this boy!” ✍️
Solskjaer claims that Manchester United could have signed Erling Haaland for a bargain price! 😬 pic.twitter.com/1vtYScfhy8
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) March 6, 2024
Solksjaer revealed, “The summer before I got here [Manchester United] I rang the club and said: ‘You’ve got to sign this boy. He will be top. Absolutely top class.’ That was June, July 2018, and they said ‘Nah, we’ve got enough reports.’”
He further added, “They [Molde] sold him so Salzburg. Because he didn’t play for them for three or four months, [I said] just sign him now because he’s got a release clause – €20 million. It would have been a bargain.”
Erling Haaland is currently valued at $217 million by Manchester City. Had Manchester United bought the Norweiggen striker for $21 million, it would have turned out to be a bargain deal for the Reds. After disclosing the fee to the hierarchy of Manchester United he felt disappointed that his beloved club had missed on a gem of a player.
Solskjaer reveals when Manchester United regretted not going for Erling Haaland
Having given the striker details before joining Manchester United. Solskjaer revealed he didn’t stop there and asked the club to sign him once again. Being the manager of Manchester United was already a big task for the Norweign but to force a rebuild was an even bigger task for him.
After leaving his former club, Molde, Haaland departed to the Austrian club, RB Salzburg. The Austrian club was the club wherein Haaland set his mark. Scoring 29 goals in just 27 matches played, Haaland took the headlines by his name and attracted several clubs to him.
Solskjaer on Haaland: “It was the club’s decision to not go for it then. We never made bids or went in for him, until after he started scoring for Salzburg. By then, Dortmund were there, Juventus were there, everyone was there.” [@WeAreTheOverlap] #mufc
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) March 6, 2024
Solskjaer said, “It was the club’s decision to not go for it then. We never made bids or went in for him, until after he started scoring for Salzburg. By then, Dortmund were there, Juventus were there, everyone was there.”
With the emphatic results and attracting several clubs, Erling Haaland eventually joined the German giants, Borussia Dortmund for $21.7 million. At Dortmund Haaland went on to score 86 goals and provided 23 assists in just 89 matches played across all competitions.
With such performances, Haaland joined Manchester City in 2022 and went on to bag 80 goals and provide 15 assists in 84 matches in all competitions. Wherein Haaland faced Manchester United 5 times scoring 6 goals and providing 3 assists. After such a record it is sad for Manchester United to miss on such a generational talent for a mere $21 million.