Premier League
What A Twist! Haaland Was Originally For Man United Before A Sudden Switch To City –
Erling Haaland was originally Manchester United – bound having worked with former manager and compatriot, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde FK in Norway, their country.
But the player with a remarkable goalscoring record ended up in the opposite direction, Manchester United.
It has been 18 months since Haaland got into the English Premier League, but according to Mirror, Manchester United fans are already sick of the sight of him.
Haaland’s goals contributed to Manchester City grabbing a trebble last season.
By last Sunday’s Premier League match, Haaland has played against Manchester United four times and had scored six goals and another three assists.
But had things turned out slightly differently, Haaland could have been playing for the Red Devils instead of conspiring against them.
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was one of the first people to recognise Haaland’s prodigious talents after working with him at Molde.
A reunion at Old Trafford seemed logical, only for Haaland to end up at Borussia Dortmund.
Solskjaer’s former teammate, Gary Neville, asked Haaland about that shortly after he arrived at City. Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “Ole was your manager. How are you not at Manchester United?”. Haaland’s response was simple: “You have to ask him.”
Solskjaer, meanwhile, revealed last year that he had flagged Haaland to United long before he was on the radar of Europe’s elite. At the time the youngster would have been available for just £4million – but the club hierarchy chose to ignore Solskjaer’s tip.
The Norwegian said: “I called United about six months before I took over and told them that I’d got this striker that we had but they didn’t listen. I asked for £4million for Haaland but they didn’t sign him.”
Haaland revealed that Solskjaer had congratulated him on his move to Manchester City in the summer of 2022 before wishing him all the best at his new club. The pair have remained in touch from their time at Molde, where Haaland scored 20 goals in 50 games during Solskjaer’s tenure.
Although he’s close with Solskjaer, he admitted that the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola was one of the key factors behind his decision to join Manchester City. Speaking at the time, Haaland said of his move: “Well, Pep didn’t have to sell the club to me, that’s for sure. He didn’t have to sell anything. For starters, he’s a special trainer and that was so important to me.
“We all know what he has done for his clubs, but also for players and for the game in general. That’s something I want to be part of. I think we can have a lot of fun together.”
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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