Man United emerge as favourites to sign Erling Haaland after Solskjaer signs new deal

Premier League giant Manchester United emerge as frontrunners to sign Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland after manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed a new deal with the club. The Red Devils narrowly missed out on the Norwegian forward when he left Red Bull Salzburg for Dortmund 18 months ago. As per reports from The Sun, Haaland chose to snub Man United for a move to the Bundesliga as there was uncertainty over whether Solskjaer would still remain in charge.

Erling Haaland transfer news: Man United favourites to sign forward

Erling Haaland has a close relationship with fellow countryman Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was unwilling to risk a move to Old Trafford if the Norwegian was about to be sacked. Both the striker and his father, former Manchester City star Alf-Inge, were not inclined to work under a manager with who they had no relationship if Solskjaer was sacked. The Norwegian boss gave Haaland his debut as a teenager at Molde when he was the manager of the club. However, with Solskjaer now having signed a new three-year contract last week, Man United are confident that they are now favourites to sign Europe's most tracked striker.

Borussia Dortmund unlikely to offload Erling Haaland easily

Even though Manchester United emerge as frontrunners to sign Erling Haaland following Solskjaer's contract extension, signing him will not be easy as negotiating with Borussia Dortmund is often difficult. Dortmund is well known to be a club that drives a hard bargain, as seen with the Jadon Sancho saga. It is speculated that the Bundesliga outfit is looking for at least 175 million Euros to allow Haaland to leave. However, it is crucial to note that the Norwegian striker has a release clause of 75 million Euros which kicks in after the coming season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signs contract extension with Manchester United

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's new deal with Man United will keep him at Old Trafford until 2024 with the option for a further year. The Norwegian took over the reins as United's caretaking manager in 2018 following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Solskjaer's appointment as permanent manager was confirmed in March 2019 after his side won a remarkable 14 games out of the 19 games he was in charge of.