Premier League

Manchester United out of the race to sign Erling Haaland

By Hector Garcia

The Red Devils are no longer in the race to sign the Norwegian

The Red Devils are no longer in the race to sign the Norwegian

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According to ESPN, Manchester United is out of the race to sign Erling Haaland, and the club is set to focus on other attacking options after learning that the Borussia Dortmund striker would prefer a move to Real Madrid in the summer.

Haaland, 21, would leave Dortmund at the end of the season when a €75 million termination clause in his contract with the Bundesliga club will be activated.

United failed to sign Haaland from FC Salzburg when he moved to Dortmund in January 2020, despite the club having been interested in him since his emergence at Norway's Molde as a 16-year-old. According to ESPN, senior officials at Old Trafford believe Haaland is set for a move to Real Madrid this summer and that United are in no position to convince the player or his advisors to reconsider their options.

United to look for Cavani and Cristiano replacements

Given the upcoming contract expiration of Edinson Cavani, who is likely to leave at the end of the campaign, and Cristiano Ronaldo's 37th birthday next month, United is focusing on other options in the search for an experienced striker.

Real Madrid were trying to sign Haaland in December and Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappé this summer. But the LaLiga champions face stiff competition with Manchester City for Haaland, who will demand wages of around £30m a year at any club he decides to join.

But despite City's interest and ability to compete with any financial budget Real Madrid present to Haaland, the Premier League champions are behind favorites Madrid in the battle to land the Norwegian international.

Manchester United does not appear to be an attractive option for Haaland

The whole mess at Old Trafford has severely affected United's chances of signing Haaland, although sources have said that the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a manager in November may have influenced the player's decision, in reality, this is not true and this was said because Solskjaer gave Haaland his debut at Molde.

Sources have claimed that, although Haaland's people are admirers of the job interim manager Ralf Rangnick did at previous clubs, the prospect of signing with United while they go through a transitional period, and are potentially out of the Champions League, has made the 20-time English champions an unattractive option considering the other teams on the shortlist to sign Haaland.

United knows that Haaland does not see them as a viable option in the current circumstances and they are focusing on recruiting a permanent coach rather than pursuing a player they know will prioritize a move to another club.


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