Shock reports have emerged detailing how Manchester United's hierarchy prevented former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from securing two of world football's biggest stars.
The Blocked Transfers That Got Away
According to the Daily Mail, during his tenure at Old Trafford between 2018 and 2021, Solskjaer explicitly instructed the club's decision-makers to pursue moves for Declan Rice and Erling Haaland. The Norwegian also advocated for the signing of Jude Bellingham, but all three requests were denied.
This proved to be a monumental error in judgement. Rice subsequently joined Arsenal in a £105 million deal from West Ham in 2023, establishing himself as one of the planet's elite midfielders. Meanwhile, Haaland moved to rivals Manchester City in 2022 for £51.2 million from Borussia Dortmund, where he has delivered a staggering 147 goals in just 168 games.
The Costly Alternatives Signed Instead
With the club opting against Solskjaer's preferred targets, United embarked on a different and ultimately disastrous transfer strategy. The funds were redirected towards signings that have largely failed to deliver.
The club brought in Cristiano Ronaldo for a second spell, which descended into turbulence, Jadon Sancho for £73 million from Dortmund, and Donny van de Beek in a £40 million deal from Ajax.
Van de Beek's five-year stint was a profound disappointment, yielding only two goals and two assists in 62 appearances before a sale to Girona. Sancho, currently on loan at Aston Villa, has also failed to meet expectations.
Solskjaer's Insight on Sancho's Struggles
Speaking on The Overlap last month, Solskjaer shed new light on Sancho's difficult start at United, revealing an untold setback. The former manager explained that the winger suffered a serious ear infection while on holiday before joining, which required hospital treatment and delayed his integration for over ten days.
"He was unlucky," Solskjaer stated. "He was in hospital and really struggled for his first 10 days or so before he could even start training with us. That hasn’t really come out before. I never really got to play with him properly, because by the time he was finding form again, I was already on my way out."
The revelation adds context to a signing that has never ignited at Old Trafford, symbolising a wider period of flawed recruitment that saw United miss out on generational talents now excelling for their direct rivals.
