Man United missed out on signing Haaland for £3MILLION due to time zone variations: Report

Manchester United's interest in signing Erling Haaland has been no hidden secret. The youngster was all set to join the Red Devils in January 2020, but the final agreement could be reached and Haaland went on to join Borussia Dortmund. A sensational report now claims that Man United could have signed the bright Norwegian prospect in 2019, were it not for the confusion created by varied time zones. 

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Man United could have sealed Haaland transfer for £3m

According to Mirror, a telephonic interaction had been arranged for a Man United representative at 9 AM to finalise a deal with Haaland's agent Jim Solbakken, which was worth £3 million in 2019. He is now worth at least 50 times more than his price in 2019. Notably, the striker was plying his trade with Norwegian side Molde back then. 

But a confusion posed a deterrent between Molde and Man United over the time zone difference. Molde believed the call was scheduled at 9 AM Norwegian time. When the Man United representative rang the phone at 10 AM, Molde had already agreed to a deal with RB Salzburg.

Former Millwall goalkeeper Bryan King had also recommended Haaland to Everton. But the Toffees also failed to anticipate the player's talent at a tender age. "I was surprised that no English club went in for him even at that young age. He looked an old English type centre-forward, very powerful," said King.

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Erling Haaland valued at £150 million?

Haaland has a £75 million release clause with Dortmund which comes into force in the summer of 2022. It's been only a year since the Norwegian striker's move to the Signal Iduna Pak, but the rumours of his exit fail to die down. The Haaland Man United linkups are yet to end, with the club also keen on his teammate Jadon Sancho. 

But any prospective club that wishes to seal the Haaland transfer will now have to shell out an amount that is twice the release clause. Following his heroics in the Bundesliga and the subsequent brace against Sevilla in the Champions League, Dortmund are confident of reaping maximum financial gains, with the club now expecting £150 million from his sale. 

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Haaland Dortmund stats: 43 goals in 44 appearances for youngster Haaland

Ever since his move to Dortmund, Haaland has racked up 44 appearances across all competitions, netting 43 times in all. This season, he has struck 27 goals in 26 games, emerging as one of the fiercest strikers in Germany. Meanwhile, Dortmund sit fifth in the Bundesliga standings, 11 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich. 

Also Read | Man United have FAILED to score against top 6 PL giants in last 6 games this season

Image courtesy: Erling Haaland Twitter