Erling Haaland has been a thorn in the side of Manchester United since joining rivals City, but he could have been lining up for the Red Devils instead of against them
Erling Haaland could have been playing for Manchester Unied (Image: Sky Sports)
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been on fire with his astonishing form in front of goal – and he previously revealed who at Manchester United is to blame for him not joining.
Around 18 months ago, he blessed the Premier League with his presence, signing for Pep Guardiola's City. And United supporters have already had more than enough of him scoring against them, as he found the net in the Red Devils' 3-1 defeat at the Etihad on Sunday.
Last season was incredible for the Norwegian as he played a key role in leading United's neighbouring team to an historical Treble, which proved particularly unpleasant for United, knowing he could have been scoring from them instead.
Haaland has netted six goals against United during four encounters and provided assists for three more. But it could have been very different.
The Mirror report how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the ex-manager of United, was amongst the first people to spot Haaland's spectacular abilities when he coached him in Molde. It made sense for Haaland to be in Old Trafford, but instead he moved to Borussia Dortmund.
Erling Haaland scored against Manchester United, again, on Sunday (Image: PA)
Gary Neville, Solskjaer's old team-mate, asked Haaland after he joined City about why he didn't join United where compatriot Solskjaer was in charge. Erling had a simple answer: "You have to ask him."
Solskjaer, last year, shared that he had recommended Haaland to United long before the young player was noticed by Europe's top clubs. He could have been signed for just £4million, but the club bosses didn't heed Solskjaer's advice.
The Norwegian said: "I called United about six months before I took over and told them that I'd got this striker that we had but they didn't listen. I asked for £4million for Haaland but they didn't sign him."
Haaland disclosed that Solskjaer had congratulated him on his move to Manchester City in summer 2022 and wished him well at his new team. The two have kept in touch since their time at Molde, where Haaland netted 20 goals in 50 matches during Solskjaer's reign.
Even though he's close with Solskjaer, he confessed that the chance to work with Pep Guardiola was a major reason behind his decision to join City.
Speaking at the time, Haaland said of his move: "Well, Pep didn't have to sell the club to me, that's for sure. He didn't have to sell anything. For starters, he's a special trainer and that was so important to me.
"We all know what he has done for his clubs, but also for players and for the game in general. That's something I want to be part of. I think we can have a lot of fun together."
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