Manchester United supporters were elated when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a club legend no thanks to his treble-winning strike against Bayern Munich in May 1999, was appointed manager. Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left his post in 2013, the merry-go-round of touchline tacticians at Old Trafford continues to spin as they look for the perfect replacement for the Scot more than a decade on.
By virtue of the size and stature of the Premier League side, whoever is manning the dugout faces an ongoing power struggle with those upstairs in transfer success – and that was definitely the case for super sub-turned-manger Solskjaer. The 52-year-old took charge of 149 matches as the permanent United manager between March 2019 and November 2021, and he endured mixed success.
ole gunnar solskjaer besiktas manager Related
Manchester United’s Potential 11 if They Listened to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
It's safe to say the current Manchester United squad would look almost entirely different had the hierarchy placed more faith in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
It was recently revealed in a report by the Daily Mail that the Norwegian, one of the highest foreign Premier League goalscorers of all time, wanted three players while in the Old Trafford dugout but the club higher-ups sanctioned three different players instead – but who are the septet of footballers? And, more importantly, what are they doing now four years following Solskjaer's departure?
Three Players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Wanted
Erling Haaland
erling haaland manchester city
It's no secret that Solskjaer advised the powers that be at Old Trafford to sign his compatriot Erling Haaland, who has netted goals at an alarming rate since becoming a household name. The sharp goal-getter's signature was available for a paltry £17 million at the time and, looking back, you can say that this was a poor decision made by the club, and one the former boss would still regret.
Haaland, born and raised in Leeds, joined the other side of the football-crazed city in the summer of 2022 and goals have been delivered right, left and centre. He shattered the single-season goalscoring record in his first Premier League campaign (36) and he even fires on all cylinders even when City are not at the races. A generational talent, United will no doubt be kicking themselves.
Declan Rice
arsenal declan rice
United have had engine room issues ever since Michael Carrick called time on his illustrious career and hung up his pass-spraying boots in 2018 – and Declan Rice, who was on the books of West Ham United at the time, would've been the perfect replacement. A box-to-box presence, the Englishman has established himself as one of the best players in world football on Arsenal's books.
Screenshot 2024-04-04 at 12.14.09 Related
20 Best English Footballers in the World Right Now (Ranked)
England's 20 best players right now have been ranked, including Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka.
A regular for England, too, Rice moved to north London in the summer of 2023 and is far and away one of Mikel Arteta's most important players. Able to sniff out danger but also launch attacks of his own with his fine-tuned passing, there are very few skills not in the locker of the 26-year-old, who is set to be central to Arsenal's and England's success in the years to come.
Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham
A superstar of the highest order, Jude Bellingham's stratospheric rise – from a Birmingham City academy graduate to one of the first names on the teamsheet at Real Madrid – has been a joy to watch. He was also on the radar of Solskjaer during his tenure at United, as the former boss said: "We wanted Jude Bellingham badly – he’s a Man United player, but I respect he chose Dortmund.
"That was probably sensible. But it’s why I respect Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James and Jadon [Sancho]. Young players prepared to come into a team that wasn’t 100 per cent there like it was when I arrived," he said. With no limit of what he's able to achieve, Los Blancos' No.5 – a number also worn by Zinedine Zidane in the Spanish capital – would've been a talent wasted in Manchester.
Three Players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Got Instead
Jadon Sancho
MixCollage-01-Oct-2024-11-01-AM-1447
United's pursuit of Jadon Sancho was spread out over a few years while he was embarrassing full-backs in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund, and they eventually coughed up £73 million for the 23-cap, three-goal England international in the summer of 2023. Things never panned out for the London-born winger in Manchester, though, and he plundered just 18 goal contributions in 83 appearances.
Still on the books of the Old Trafford outfit, Sancho is currently on loan at Aston Villa after a tricky spell at Chelsea and his United career is all-but over unless something drastic occurs. Talented, no doubt, why the 25-year-old never managed to hit previous heights under an array of managers in England is unknown – but he'll be looking to get his career back on track sooner rather than later.
Donny van de Beek
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek clapping
Instrumental in Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19 under Erik ten Hag, the Old Trafford faithful had every hope that Donny van de Beek would become a world-beater in England – but that was a far cry from the reality. Unable to match the intensity of the Premier League, the Dutchman played just 62 times for the club between 2020 and when he left permanently in 2024.
van de beek girona Related
What's Happened to Donny van de Beek Since he Left Manchester United
After leaving Manchester United in the summer of 2024, what has Donny van de Beek been up to?
The central midfielder's spell at Old Trafford was punctured with two loan spells – with Everton in the latter half of the 2020/21 season and Eintracht Frankfurt for the final six months of 2023/24 – but things seldom went to plan with him struggling for minutes. Now, Van de Beek is earning his corn for La Liga outfit Girona as he looks to revive his de-railed playing days.
Cristiano Ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
In the eyes of some, Cristiano Ronaldo's Old Trafford legacy was left with a chip in it once he upped and left for free in late November after his public fall-out with Ten Hag, but the vision of a young and tricky winger strutting his stuff under Sir Alex Ferguson will forever remain in the memory of many. His second stint, however, is more forgetful given he was no longer at the peak of his powers.
A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldo – widely regarded, for good reason, as one of the greatest footballers of all time – still managed to score an abundance of goals (24 in his first year, to be precise) while leading the line for the 13-time champions of the Premier League. If you don't remember: it was his interview with Piers Morgan that left a sour taste in the mouth of many United supporters.