Erling Haaland’s shock admission on who’s to blame for him not joining Man Utd
Erling Haaland’s move to the Premier League has been anything but straightforward.
Although the 22-year-old has scored 25 goals in just 20 league matches for Manchester City this season, his performance has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher suggesting that he may have “picked the wrong club” after his poor showing against Tottenham last Sunday.
However, there is no indication that anyone at Manchester City agrees with this viewpoint.
This was made clear by midfielder Ilkay Gundogan ahead of the crucial match against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Manchester City managed to secure the signing of Erling Haaland despite strong competition from many top European clubs.
Haaland became one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe due to his prolific two-and-a-half years at Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester United was among the clubs linked with a move for Haaland, as he was well known to former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had worked with a young Haaland at his former club, Molde, in Norway.
However, Haaland has already hinted that Solskjaer may have played a role in his decision not to join Manchester United.
When asked by Gary Neville, a former teammate of Solskjaer, why he hadn’t joined United, Haaland simply replied, “You have to ask him.”
After a disappointing performance against Tottenham, Erling Haaland and Manchester City are eager to get back to winning ways against Aston Villa on Sunday, especially after Arsenal’s recent setback in the title race against Brentford.
Haaland will look to add to his already impressive goal tally of 25 when City hosts Villa at the Etihad.
Jamie Carragher suggested that Manchester City could be getting even more out of Haaland and claimed that playing with a traditional forward has made the team “less effective.”
However, Ilkay Gundogan disagrees with this statement and believes that Haaland’s 25 goals in 20 games is proof of his impact on the team.
He told Sky Sports Germany, “If you score 25 goals in 20 games, you fit into a team!”
“Our game has become a bit different because of Erling’s qualities. Both he and the team have to adjust to that. We’ve already had outstanding games in this campaign, and I can remember that a few weeks ago everything was hyped up.
“It’s important for us to stay calm [in the title race]. We have to realise that we weren’t good enough in the last few games – that goes for everyone. Everyone has to look in the mirror and know that they have to step it up a notch. If we want to close the gap to Arsenal, we can’t afford any more mistakes.”
Erling Haaland’s shock admission on who’s to blame for him not joining Man Utd
