Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he wanted to sign Erling Braut Haaland, Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo while he was Manchester United manager.
The Norwegian was initially appointed as the Red Devils boss on an interim basis in December 2018 after Jose Mourinho was sacked, and he got the job permanently in March 2019 following an impressive run.
Solskjaer signed a three-year contract at the time and also signed a three-year contract extension until 2024 in July 2021.
He was fired in November 2021 after a 4-1 loss to Watford left the Red Devils seventh in the Premier League table with 17 points after 12 games.
They had only one win in the last seven games under Solskjaer and had conceded 15 goals in their last five league fixtures.
The former Man United striker has been reflecting on his time at the club, revealing that he wanted to sign the aforementioned trio.
“We couldn’t buy the players I mentioned to the club,” Solskjaer told The Athletic.
“Erling Haaland, before he made his Salzburg debut. Declan Rice, who wouldn’t have cost what he did in the summer. We discussed Moises Caicedo, but we felt we needed players ready for there and then.
“Brighton are very good at letting players come from abroad and find their feet for a year and a half. At United, you don’t have that luxury and that has cost the club loads of players.”
The three players have since gone on to establish themselves as superstars and are widely regarded as being among the best players in their positions.
Haaland moved to Borussia Dortmund from Salzburg in January 2020 after 29 goals in 27 games before leaving for Manchester City in the summer of 2022 after ending his time in the Bundesliga with 86 goals in 89 games.
The Norway international striker hit the ground running in the Premier League and has since bagged 59 goals in 61 appearances for Man City, and Man United may have won a trophy under Solskjaer had they signed him.
Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham United this summer for £105 million, while Caicedo left Brighton & Hove Albion for Chelsea in a £115m deal, and the Red Devils could do with such midfielders within their ranks right now.
Solskjaer was unlucky not to have got his hands on any of the trio, but it remains to be seen whether he would have been able to hold on to his job had he signed them.
