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Borussia Dortmund fans have already got the New Year gift in the form of Erling Braut Håland who was unveiled yesterday by the German club. The 19-year-old teenage sensation joined Dortmund from FC Red Bull Salzburg for a reported transfer fee of €20m (£17m), snubbing generous offers from the likes of Manchester United and Juventus. As Juventus have viable forward options in their squad, they can afford to miss out on Erling Braut Håland's signature. But the question remains for Manchester United as they drastically need fresh blood in the attacking department.
After enduring a lacklustre defeat to Watford, United have produced an impressive comeback, winning back-to-back games against Newcastle and Burnley with respectable scorelines. As a result of those consecutive victories, they have made a swift return to the fifth spot in the Premier League points table. In spite of having a deadly attack, Ole Gunnar Solskjær's men have often struggled to find the consistency either due to lack of investment in the last two windows or due to injury woes.
Why did United walk away from Haaland's deal?
Until Dortmund announced the signing of Erling Braut Håland, the Leeds-born Norwegian prodigy was expected to be a potential United recruit. At the end of the day, he snubbed the deal to join the Bundesliga outfit.
According to the reports surrounding Old Trafford, United were the one who walked away from the deal. Håland's agent Mino Riola wanted to include a buyout clause in his contract and demanded a hefty commission during his future sale. As United were reportedly not interested in those terms and conditions, they decided not to sign Håland this time.
Is it a massive loss for Manchester United?
Erling Braut Håland, who has scored 8 goals in 6 matches this season in the Champions League, certainly possesses the potential of becoming one of greatest strikers of the game. Moreover, we all know how successful Dortmund are in developing youth talents. The names of Jadon Sancho, Christian Pulisic, Ousmane Dembélé, Mario Götze are only four of many bright instances. Hence, we can say that Håland has chosen a perfect destination for himself.
Including the wingers, United currently have four forwards - Daniel James, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood - in their squad. The number reveals United apparently don't have that much-needed depth and back-up options in the squad which could hurt them in the latter stage of the season.
While Mason Greenwood has made an impressive start to his professional career, Håland's signing might have hampered his progress. But, after getting outrun in Håland's deal, they will be looking for an alternative offensive target in the January transfer window. Adding a forward to the current roster is needed to strengthen the depth. Nevertheless, mid-field is the area where United need to make some hefty investment this winter.
