It is no longer news that Erling Haaland has joined German Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund on a four and a half year deal which will end in 2024.
Before he completed the switch many people thought he would join Premier League giants Manchester United.
Reports were that United saw him as the perfect center forward to replace Romelu Lukaku, but Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was another reason why many thought he would move to Old Trafford as they are both from Norway and he knew him from his time at Molde.
Why Erling Haaland chose Borussia Dortmund over Man U
1. Champions League football
Haaland already had 28 goals in 22 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg but they failed to progress from their group to the knockout stages.
Had he joined Manchester United he would be competing in the Europa League just like Salzburg. Also, there are no assurances that the Red Devils would qualify for next seasons edition as they are currently fifth in the Premier League which is outside the Champions League places.
2. Development
Haaland is a prolific striker as he has shown but still just a 19-year-old forward. The move to Borussia Dortmund completely makes sense for his development instead of joining Manchester United.
Dortmund has a track record of developing elite center forwards such as Robert Lewandowski now at Bayern Munich and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang now at Arsenal. Still only a teenager, Haaland will have several bad games and if he joined Manchester United those disaster performances would be scrutinized heavily by the English media because he is a foreigner and because he’ll cost a huge amount of money.
That kind of negative press could hamper his development into a superstar which he is not yet for now. Criticism for several youngsters vary on their personalities and going to a club where the spotlight is not on him is perfect for his development.
3. Competition and supporting cast
Manchester United claimed that they need a striker to solve all their issues but they already have two forwards in double figures at the half stage of the season.
At Manchester United, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood are all under the age of 25 and have shown that they are capable of scoring goals.
All three forwards are goalscorers competing for playing time and Haaland would have more to prove at Manchester United.
Also, at Manchester United, the supply from midfield is a huge concern. Paul Pogba is their best midfielder and he shares the same agent with Haaland. Mino Raiola has hinted on several occasions that his client wants a move away from Old Trafford. This means Haaland would have to depend on Fred and Scot McTominay if he joined Manchester United.
Meanwhile, at Dortmund, he would be supplied by Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt who are all world-class midfielders.
