Erling Haaland has been a thorn in the side of Manchester United since his arrival in the Premier League, and Paul Pogba may have something to answer for as a result.

As a Manchester City player, the Norwegian striker has five goals in four games versus the Red Devils. To make matters worse, he was instrumental in City matching United’s unprecedented treble achievement under Pep Guardiola last season.

Failure to sign Haaland will be a persistent source of anger for the Red Devils, with club record signing Paul Pogba accidentally blocking a mega-money switch to Old Trafford. During Haaland’s tenure at German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, United were regularly linked with a transfer for his talents as they sought to strengthen their frontline.

Former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer openly expressed his adoration for his compatriot and lobbied for his previous club to sign him. “I called United about six months before I took over and told them that I’d got this striker that we had,” he stated earlier this year. I requested £4 million for Haaland, but he was not signed.”

Pogba could be to blame for United’s failure to sign Haaland. The striker, like Pogba, has been handled by super agent Mino Raiola for the overwhelming part of his career.

To put it mildly, United’s relationship with the Italian agency was strained, and it all came to a head during Pogba’s tenure at Old Trafford. During his second stay at the club, Raiola was frequently called upon to protect the midfielder.

Manchester United failed to sign a player due to their relationship with Mino Raiola, according to Jamie Carragher. Haaland, Erling

A particularly heated discussion between Sir Alex Ferguson and Raiola made a lasting effect on Raiola’s colleague Rafaela Pimenta. “I cannot call that a meeting,” she said earlier this month. It’s what I call a train wreck.

“It began badly and ended badly.” Sir Alex stormed in, hitting the table and spilling our tea all over the place. He was bright red. Mino was completely enraged. It was a calamity.”

It was then believed that the existing feud between Raiola and the Red Devils prevented the club from resuming talks with the agent about a move for Haaland, with Dortmund stepping in instead. At the Westfalenstadion, he soon demonstrated his goal-scoring talent.

Erling Haaland has previously scored five goals against Manchester United.

He scored 86 goals in 89 games for the German giants before being grabbed on by Manchester City. Of course, Pogba is not exclusively to blame for United’s inability to sign Haaland.

Since he was a child, the striker has openly declared his love for Manchester City. “First and foremost, my father, a little bit,” he explained about his move to the Etihad.

“I was born in the United Kingdom.” I’ve been a City supporter my entire life. I’m really knowledgeable about the club. [Deciding to sign] came down to two factors in the end. I feel at home here, and I believe I can develop and improve my skills at City.

“I like the (playing) style.” I enjoy attacking football. When City plays football, I enjoy the upbeat atmosphere. This is exactly what I’m looking for, therefore I believe it’s a terrific fit.”