Manchester United ‘Settle On Haaland As Their No 1 Striker Priority’
Manchester United will go all out in their attempt to finally lure Erling Haaland to Old Trafford this summer after making him their No 1 transfer target.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and new football director, John Murtough, have agreed to prioritise the signing of the in-demand Borussia Dortmund striker when the transfer window reopens.
It is claimed that Haaland, who has scored 37 goals in just 35 games for Dortmund and Norway this season, is seen as the ‘ideal’ replacement for Romelu Lukaku despite interest from a host of European giants.
United attempted to sign the 20-year-old from Red Bull Salzburg in January of last year, but missed out following disagreements with his agent, Mino Raiola.
However, the MEN report that United are confident that Solskjaer’s relationship with Haaland will help smooth over any lasting issues with Raiola, who has made no secret of his desire to find a new club for midfielder Paul Pogba.
Solskjaer worked with Haaland at Norwegian club Molde and revealed last month that he still speaks to the forward regularly.
Harry Kane has also been considered by United as they search for a prolific striker, but the club are said to have received ‘little encouragement’ over a deal.
Sportsmail revealed that the Tottenham captain could be sold this summer, but only for a fee of £150million. That is likely to be out of United’s budget.
Haaland’s release clause of £66m becomes active in the summer of 2022, although the Bundesliga side could cash in on him at the end of the season