In 2018, Ole Gunnar Solskjær tried to convince Manchester United to sign a teenage Norwegian striker named Erling Haaland for £4 million. The club passed. That teenager is now widely considered one of the most dominant forwards in world football, and the story of his near-transfer has become one of those legendary “what if” moments that sports fans and, increasingly, crypto speculators refuse to let die.
Solskjær made the recommendation while still managing Molde, the Norwegian club where Haaland was developing. Six months later, Solskjær himself would take the managerial reins at Old Trafford, but by then, the window on a bargain-basement Haaland deal had already closed.
A £4M lesson in missed value
Haaland then moved to RB Salzburg, where he exploded onto the Champions League stage. From there, he went to Borussia Dortmund, continued scoring at a rate that made statisticians double-check their spreadsheets, and ultimately signed with Manchester City in 2022.
What was once a £4 million opportunity became a deal reportedly worth north of £50 million when City completed the transfer.
