Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed his Manchester United tenure was undermined by the club’s failure to recruit five of his key transfer targets.
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The club legend’s reign ended nearly two years ago with the early promise he showed in the role giving way to a chaotic, clouded thinking that culminated in a series of embarrassing results.
While the United hierarchy were able to deliver a number of high-profile players, Cristiano Ronaldo chief among them, several world class stars slipped through the net and have since gone on to join rival clubs.
United finally landed a new striker this summer in the shape of promising Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund, but had initially enquired about Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, only to see their opening £50million bid ‘laughed off’ by the Seagulls.
Asked if the United manager’s job was an impossible task given the financial restrictions in place at Old Trafford, coupled with the spending power of their rivals, Solskjaer told The Athletic: ‘No, but it’s difficult, especially for managers following one of the best managers ever. The expectations are very high but we can’t live in the same era as when I played.
‘We had Arsenal and Chelsea as rivals towards the end. Now, most teams have money or even if they don’t, they don’t need to sell.
‘Back then, Wayne and Cristiano were the best young players and we signed them. Now, United can’t just go and buy Evan Ferguson. We couldn’t buy the players I mentioned to the club.’
Pressed for an answer on which players he had requested United try and sign, he added: ‘Erling Haaland, before he made his Salzburg debut. Declan Rice, who wouldn’t have cost what he did in the summer.
‘We discussed Moises Caicedo, but we felt we needed players ready for there and then.
‘Brighton are very good at letting players come from abroad and find their feet for a year and a half. At United, you don’t have that luxury and that has cost the club loads of players.
‘We wanted Jude Bellingham badly – he’s a Man United player, but I respect he chose Dortmund. That was probably sensible. But it’s why I respect Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James and Jadon. Young players prepared to come into a team that wasn’t 100 per cent there like it was when I arrived.
‘I would have signed Kane every day of the week and my understanding was that he wanted to come.
‘But the club didn’t have the budget with the financial constraints from Covid-19, there was no bottomless pit.’
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