Erling Haaland's Father Would Welcome Transfer Interest Amid Man Utd Rumours
Erling Haaland's father has said transfer interest in the star striker would be "nice," amid rumours Premier League giants Manchester United have been watching the 19-year-old closely.
Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for Leeds United and Manchester City, spoke to TV2 (h/t Sport Witness' Naveen Ullal) after his son scored a first-half hat-trick for Red Bull Salzburg on his UEFA Champions League debut, a 6-2 win over Racing Genk.
"It would be nice (interest from United and others). It is important to distinguish between being a supporter and a job. So, I have a very relaxed relationship. It's a little different when it's serious
"He is a good player who plays for a very good team. It's a club that bets on young [players] and has given him the chance.
"They have thought for a long time that they would give him the chance this summer, and at the same time there are many things that have taken place.
"Most of the job he has done himself, but he has been assisted by his former team-mates and current coaches and team-mates, in addition to the hard work of many years."
Per Ullal, the forward previously said his dream was to win the Premier League with Leeds, where he was born. His fandom of the club and his father's past with the club and City were seen as a major obstacles for the Red Devils to overcome.
United have been linked with the Norwegian talent since his Molde days, reportedly sending scouts to watch him when he was 17, per the Mirror's Liam Prenderville.
Haaland's development has been rapid since. At the under-20 World Cup, he dazzled in scoring an incredible nine goals in a win over Honduras:
He has started the club season in sensational form as well:
Haaland played under coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde, so the links to United should come as no surprise. Per ESPN FC, Solskjaer praised his compatriot after his great outing against Genk.
United are in need of a star striker after selling Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan in the summer, and the club prioritised signing younger players in the summer, adding Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Haaland would fit the mould as an ideal target, but there are roadblocks to a move. The youngster plays for Salzburg, a team that has served as something of a feeder cub for RB Leipzig, also owned by energy drink giant Red Bull. Top talents like Dayot Upamecano, Hannes Wolf, Konrad Laimer and Amadou Haidara all made the switch to Germany before other clubs could intervene.
WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer believes he's already being lined up as a replacement for Timo Werner:
Haaland and Salzburg will face second-placed LASK in a crucial Austrian Bundesliga clash on Sunday.
