Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he wanted to bring Erling Haaland, Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo to Old Trafford.
The trio currently play for the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, costing those teams a combined £270m but Solskjaer claims he could have signed them earlier in their careers when they would have been much cheaper:
“We couldn’t buy the players I mentioned to the club. Erling Haaland, before he made his Salzburg debut. Declan Rice, who wouldn’t have cost what he did in the summer. We discussed Moises Caicedo, but we felt we needed players ready for there and then.”
Solskjaer’s interest in Haaland was well-documented. He had worked with the striker at Molde, and was aware of his abilities.
In terms of Rice, there were certainly rumours that United were interested in the England international, but there was never any suggestion that the Red Devils had tabled a formal bid during Solskjaer’s time in charge.
With Caicedo, there were a number of different factors that led to United missing out on the Ecuadorian before he joined Brighton; one of which was complications over who actually represented the player.
It’s very much a case of what might have been for United
Solskjaer’s transfer revelations are not a complete surprise. Circumstances led to the Red Devils missing out on some top players.
The decision not to pursue Haaland, in particular, is a big mistake in hindsight, while the failure to land the likes of Rice and Caicedo is more egregious considering how poorly United’s midfield has performed in recent seasons.
You do get the feeling that Solskjaer is covering his own back somewhat by highlighting some of the top players he missed out on. There is no doubt, though, that these three signings could have greatly improved the club’s chances of being successful.
