Paul Scholes believes Manchester United made a huge mistake by deciding not to sign Erling Haaland in January.
Haaland swapped RedBull Salzburg for Borussia Dortmund in the last window after blasting 28 goals in 22 games for the Austrian side.
The Bundesliga side paid Haaland’s release clause of €22.5m, while also handing the 19-year-old’s advisor, Mino Raiola a €10m payment, and then immediately slapped a release clause in his four-and-a-half-year deal.
According to the German publication Sport Bild, Haaland’s agent has negotiated a €75m buy-out fee that will only come into force after this summer’s transfer window.
But even that looks good value after the striker, who is on a weekly wage of around £130,000 a week, continued his goalscoring form with Dortmun to take his tally to 44 goals in 40 games.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was desperate to sign Haaland, whom he coached at Molde, and flew out to meet with the player in December. However, it’s understood United did not want to meet the financial demands of Raiola.
But Scholes says United’s decision to pull out of a move for the striker was a big gaffe.
Haaland ‘looks that good’
Scholes said via the Daily Mail: “Once the German football came back and I watched him properly, I thought, ‘Why did Manchester United not just pay whatever anybody wanted for him?’
“He looks that good, he’s still young, and he’s an out-and-out goalscorer.
“He’s quick as well, he’s got real pace. He’s a big lad, he’s a presence, and he scores goals – and that’s priceless.
“Looking back – and do you know what, he still might be available, who knows, in time – but United are going to have to pay big, big money for him. But so what? He looks the real deal.”
READ MORE: New information ends Man Utd chances of cheeky Haaland deal
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