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Manchester United have missed out on one of their top January targets, after Norwegian striker Erling Haaland signed for Borussia Dortmund for £18 million, the buyout clause in his contract..
The Red Bull Salzburg forward had been heavily tipped for a move to Old Trafford, but, instead opted for Dortmund, although the reasons vary according to which report is being read.
In one scenario, Haaland chose the Bundesliga side because, although United were willing to pay more for his services, he felt that his long-term development would be best served with the German club.
An alternative version of the story is that United were just not prepared to accept the demands of his representatives, with his agent Mino Raiola and father, former Manchester City player Alf Inge Haalnd, demanding a significant portion of the proceeds of any future sale of the player, something that the Premier League side were simply not prepared to accept.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.