Man Utd clobbered for failing to sign Erling Haaland as former coach tips strike sensation to make Liverpool transfer
A FORMER coach of red-hot Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has criticised Manchester United for failing to land his former striker. And Alf Ingve Berntsen, who managed Haaland at Bryne in the 2016-17 season, has also admitted that he’d like to see the 19-year-old move to Liverpool. After scoring an astonishing 28 goals in 22 […]
A FORMER coach of red-hot Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has criticised Manchester United for failing to land his former striker.
And Alf Ingve Berntsen, who managed Haaland at Bryne in the 2016-17 season, has also admitted that he’d like to see the 19-year-old move to Liverpool.
After scoring an astonishing 28 goals in 22 games for RB Salzburg in the first half of this season, the Norwegian was very much a man in demand.
It had looked as though he would be reunited with another of his former bosses Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, however the Red Devils failed to get a move over the line.
This allowed BVB to swoop in and complete a deal for just £18million.
But with Haaland already being touted for another switch, Berntsen believes he’d flourish on Merseyside.
He told Goal: “I’m a fan of Liverpool, so of course I would like to see him play for them.
“English football is by far the most popular in Norway.
“And most young Norwegian footballers dream of playing in the Premier League, as did Erling’s father [Alf Inge Haaland].
“I sincerely believe that he has the skills to play at such a club.”
Having missed out on their primary forward target, United found themselves scrambling around for a striker on Deadline Day.
They ended up shocking the world by signing Odion Ighalo on loan from Shanghai Shenhua just before the window shut.
But despite the Nigerian, 30, bagging a respectable four goals in eight appearances since – they will still be kicking themselves for losing out on Haaland.
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Berntsen continued: “I don’t know what the strategies of Real Madrid, Manchester United or the other big clubs are with regard to Erling.
“But if I had been responsible for the six to eight best clubs in the world, I would have bought him immediately.
“He is already very good, he has shown a great personality, he scores a lot of goals whatever the level of the opponents, and he is only 19 years old.
“He will continue to develop and in two years he will be one of the best.”
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The £18million BVB shelled out for Haaland was quickly made to look like a bargain, as he broke record after record in his first two months in the Bundesliga.
Initially it was the first player in the league to score a debut hat-trick from the bench, then to score five in his first two matches, then eight in five and nine in six.
Prior to the Covid-19 enforced suspension of football in March, he had netted 12 goals in 11 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.