PAUL SCHOLES reckons Manchester United missed a trick by not snapping up striker Erling Haaland in January.
The Red Devils legend blasted his old team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for missing out on “real deal” Haaland – despite United’s three strikers being on fire since the restart.
Anthony Martial has four goals in four games, Mason Greenwood has hit three in his last two matches and Marcus Rashford, despite only scoring once, has looked razor sharp on his return from a lengthy injury lay-off.
German giants Borussia Dortmund snapped up Haaland for £18million in January on wages of £130,000-a-week from Austrian club RB Salzburg.
But Scholes believes he would have been one of the final pieces in the jigsaw for Solskjaer.
The Norwegian boss used to manage Haaland at Norway club Molde, but still missed out on the transfer.
The 19-year-old has hit 16 goals in 18 games for Dortmund.
He has an astonishing 40 goals in 40 games this season overall.
Scholes said: “Once the German football came back and I watched him properly, I thought, ‘Why did Manchester United not just pay whatever anybody wanted for him?’
“He looks that good, he’s still young, and he’s an out-and-out goalscorer.
“He’s quick as well, he’s got real pace. He’s a big lad, he’s a presence, and he scores goals – and that’s priceless.
“Looking back – and do you know what, he still might be available, who knows, in time – but United are going to have to pay big, big money for him. But so what? He looks the real deal.”
It is believed United could not get the Haaland deal over the line after a fall-out with his agent Mino Raiola.
