How Close Were Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland to Signing for Man Utd? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Reveals

Vishal Bhawani March 6, 2024March 6, 2024 Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

In a recent revelation, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has shed light on just how close the club came to securing the signings of Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland during his tenure.

Solskjaer Comments on Signing Haaland & Bellingham

Detailing the events, Solskjaer recalled the moments when both players were on the brink of joining the Red Devils, only for the deals to fall through. Speaking on SkyBet’s Stick to Football podcast, he disclosed,

“Jude [Bellingham] was in the building… We all spoke to him and sold it as well as he could. He knew what he wanted, a certain amount of minutes in the first team.”

Regarding Haaland, Solskjaer revealed,

🔴🇳🇴 Solskjær: “The summer before I got to Man United I rang them and said: you’ve got to sign Erling Haaland. He will be top. Absolutely top class”.

“That was June, July 2018… they said: nah, we’ve got enough reports”, told @WeAreTheOverlap. pic.twitter.com/zp0Y8cBol0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 6, 2024

“I had him in Molde, for two seasons… I rang the club and said, ‘You’ve got to sign this boy – he’ll be top class’. We knew that then, and no one else would’ve paid the money.”

Reflecting on the club’s decision-making process, Solskjaer expressed his disappointment, stating,

“It was the club’s decision to not go for it then. We never made bids or went in for him, until after he started scoring for Salzburg.”

Also Read: Henrik Larsson reveals rejecting Manchester United transfer for Celtic stay

What’s Next for Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham?

Both Bellingham and Haaland have since emerged as elite talents in European football, leaving United to ponder what might have been.

Bellingham is currently gearing up for Real Madrid’s clash against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, while Haaland is set to feature for Manchester City against Copenhagen in the same competition.

The revelations offer insight into United’s transfer pursuits during Solskjaer’s tenure and highlight the potential missed opportunities that could have shaped the club’s trajectory differently.