Haaland plus four others – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals the five players he wanted to sign for Man United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has recently disclosed the five players he had sought to sign during his tenure as the manager of Manchester United.
In 2018, Solskjaer was appointed as the interim boss of United following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho. His impressive run of results led to him being offered the position on a permanent basis.
However, his reign took a downturn during the 2021/22 season, eventually resulting in his dismissal in November.
Solskjaer has now opened up about his time in charge and the players he had hoped to bring to Old Trafford. Speaking to The Athletic, the 50-year-old revealed, “Erling Haaland, even before he made his debut for Salzburg.
Declan Rice, whose price was more affordable back then.”
“We also discussed Moises Caicedo, but we felt the need for players ready to make an immediate impact. Brighton has a knack for allowing players from abroad to settle in over a year and a half. At United, we didn’t have that luxury, and it cost the club several players.”
Solskjaer continued, “We were very keen on Jude Bellingham; he’s a true Manchester United player, but I respect his decision to choose Dortmund, which was probably a sensible move.
That’s why I hold immense respect for players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Dan James, and Jadon – young talents who were willing to join a team that wasn’t at its peak when I arrived.”
“I would have signed Harry Kane without hesitation, and as far as I understood, he was interested in coming.
However, the club had budget constraints due to the financial impact of Covid-19, and there was no unlimited funding available.”
Erling Haaland eventually joined Manchester United’s arch-rivals, Manchester City, and played a pivotal role in their historic Treble-winning season.
Meanwhile, players like Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice went on to join Premier League competitors Chelsea and Arsenal, Jude Bellingham moved to Real Madrid, and Harry Kane made a switch to Bayern Munich.
