Manchester United could sign striker Erling Braut Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg in the January transfer window, it has been claimed.
Reports have suggested that the Norwegian, who has been in sensational form this season, could sign with the Red Devils in the January window, but remain with the Austrian club till the end of the season.
According to The Sun, United could sign him for a whopping £76 million in the winter transfer window. But Salzburg want to hold onto Haaland till the end of the season, before he moves to Old Trafford as part of any deal.
Current Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously managed the teenager at Norwegian club Molde.
Haaland has scored 28 goals in his first full season with Salzburg, having joined the club in January 2019 from Molde. 8 of those goals have come in the Champions League group stages where Salzburg impressed, but could not progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
His current deal with the Austrian club expires in 2023, but Salzburg’s sister club RB Leipzig could sign him for just £20 million in January.
Who will Haaland replace in the Manchester United side?
The signing of Haaland would give Manchester United and Solskjaer several young attacking players in the club’s ranks.
United currently have Marcus Rashford – who is having his best season, Anthony Martial and Daniel James – with the latter impressing after joining in the summer, and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood, who has scored 7 goals in all competitions.
Haaland’s addition to this United squad could mean that one of the above mentioned players will have to drop to the bench and be a squad player.
Rashford’s place in the team is assured as he is a player with the X-Factor and has the ability to score in big games. James is great in counter-attacking situations and will only get better with experience.
This means that Martial could be the one to lose out on a place in the starting XI as he has blown hot and cold this season. The move to convert him into a striker has not yielded in lots of goals from the Frenchman, which is why United are interested in Haaland.
Martial could be an impact player or return to his wide left position, competing with Rashford for a place on the wing. Rashford could also perhaps be tried in the No. 10 role, which is where he played in the United U18 side, as well as briefly in the U23 side.