As one of the craziest transfer windows in history comes to an end, unfortunately the rumour mill continues – those articles won’t click themselves will they?
Pretty much as soon as the window slammed shut, confirmation of United’s strategy for next summer’s window was leaked to the press. It seems Solskjær’s desire to sign Erling Haaland hasn’t dwindled since his mega-money move to Borussia Dortmund in lieu of signing for United, but I have to question, why not?
Haaland’s rumoured release clause of £64m is no doubt tempting and, on the face of it, decent value for money but is it really all that simple? Sport Bild reporter Christian Falk said in August that Mino Raiola was demanding a staggering £825k per week and £34m in agents fees to move his client this summer when Chelsea came calling. That was all before negotiating with Borussia Dortmund for a transfer fee for the player as well mind.
Not all that surprising then that they ended up settling with re-signing Romelu Lukaku for a measly £97m instead…
So the question is: if Mino Raiola has the gall to demand £825k a week as well as £34m in agents fees even before a probable £150m+ transfer fee; what sort of monstrous figure is he going to pull out of his arse next summer, when the buying club only have to pay a very pedestrian £64m transfer fee? It’s going to be the GDP of a small island for Christ sake.
I think it’s fair to say Erling Haaland is already world class and is probably a generational talent, who’s going to score hundreds and hundreds of goals in his career if he stays healthy. But is he worth dancing with the devil for? Is it worth shelling out, what will be after additional fees, over a £100m for a player that is more than likely not going to see out his career here? Maybe it would be for some of you, but not for me, not when Mason Greenwood is here.
Greenwood has obviously played predominantly on the right-hand side since his induction into the first team but given his supernatural finishing abilities it’s hard to see him as anything other than a centre forward in the long term. He’s started this season with three goals in three games and has singlehandedly won us seven points already. Is signing Erling Haaland, at a massive outlay, worth stunting Mason Greenwood’s growth when he is already showing his quality here and now.
I think not.
Mason Greenwood, if given the opportunity, will blossom into a world class centre forward, who will score goals on goals for this United team. United’s long-term front three are already at the club in my opinion. Rashford on the left; Greenwood down the middle and Sancho on the right, for me, is a title-winning forward line already, never mind what they’ll be after a few years under Cavani and Ronaldo’s tutelage.
United should always be in for the best of the best, which is what Haaland undoubtedly is, but given the quality already at the club up front, for both the short-term and the long-term his signing just doesn’t make sense to me. His £64m price tag is incredibly disingenuous and the more likely £100m+ expenditure would be better placed trying to sign a proper No.6 who can anchor and balance our midfield. Or perhaps that Paul Pogba replacement that has been in the offing for some time.
Mason Greenwood is a homegrown academy graduate, who’s been at the club since he can remember, he embodies everything that United are about both in his meteoric rise into the first team and his precocious fearlessness once in the first team. Erling Haaland is the son of a former Manchester City player, who dreams of winning the league with Leeds and is advised by Lucifer himself…
At a time when we are looking to be regaining a modicum of stability and direction for the first time since Fergie left, Haaland is the antithesis of what United need at the moment. If we don’t start winning titles in the next few years it won’t be because our forwards aren’t good enough, especially with players like Greenwood and Sancho. We have bigger problems to solve than selling our soul to the devil in favour of adding another cook in an already crowded kitchen.
Bring in the midfield reinforcements we need and we can see once-and-for-all whether or not Solskjær has the minerals to take United back to the top. But Erling Haaland is not the difference between Manchester United and silverware at the moment; we do not need him.
If United don’t go on to win something significant this year – which they have a good chance of doing – Erling Haaland and more importantly Mino Raiola are not the answer. We know what happens when we go down this road.
Invest in Mason Greenwood; invest in United.