Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United had to defend their own interests when negotiating a move for Erling Haaland, after the teenager’s debut hat-trick for Dortmund.
Old Trafford looked a likely destination for the 19-year-old in January, but United have been left red-faced with Haaland immediately taking to life in the German league instead.
It was claimed at the time that the Red devils had backed out of the deal for financial reasons, rather than having been turned down.
“It is important that we use common sense,” Ole Solskjaer told reporters ahead of United’s match with Burnley on Wednesday.
“There are other things too when you sign players, that you have to keep in control. You can’t give agents the control by giving buyout clauses and stuff.
“That has been touted around, that is for me, we have to be in control.”
Solskjaer’s most recent statement is likely to annoy Haaland’s agent, Mino Raiola, who disputed United’s claims after the transfer.
He told the Telegraph: “I do not know if Manchester United are briefing this but if they are then they are covering their own loss and that I find strange and disappointing.
“The club that had the most direct contact with him was United.
“Clearly he felt that at this moment it was not the right step in his career. There is nothing against Manchester United or Ole.
“If he wanted to go to Manchester United I would have been obliged to take him to Manchester United, but he did not.
“It was not about the economics. It is just the player chose Borussia Dortmund at this stage of his career.”
Erling Haaland himself has echoed this statement.
“They just went direct and said, ‘We need you up front, we like your playing style and we want to have you here’,” he said.
“I liked how they spoke to me then and that’s what triggered me [to sign]. I just felt that me and Dortmund was a good match.”
