Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reportedly told vice-executive chairman Ed Woodward that the club’s dressing room harmony is his priority even if it means sacrificing securing top summer transfer targets.
According to a recent report from ESPN, Solskjaer has informed United’s hierarchy that he will prevent a situation occurring again similar to the one the club endured when flop Alexis Sanchez joined from rivals Arsenal.
Sanchez, 31, joined United from Arsenal in 2018 in a famous swap deal which saw Armenian attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way.
The Chilean attacker’s switch to Old Trafford has been dubbed the worst ever piece of Premier League business in the history of the competition.
Despite Mkhitaryan joining the Gunners in place of Sanchez, both players failed miserably to impress their new sides and both eventually moved onto Italy with Sanchez now plying his trade for Inter Milan and Mkhitaryan playing for AS Roma.
ESPN’s report claims that upon Solskjaer’s arrival as United manager, he was faced with the challenge of turning a fractured dressing around.
It is believed that Sanchez’s huge wage demands which were rumoured to be within the region of an astonishing £560,000-per week including image rights bonuses caused discontent throughout the rest of the team
With Sanchez picking up well over half a million pounds a week and failing to deliver on the pitch, the club’s obscene piece of business caused other United players to expect to be entitled to unrealistic wages too.
The report claims that it was Sanchez’s ridiculous contract which caused difficulties when it came to the club negotiating number-one David De Gea’s new deal as well as the main reason behind Ander Herrera’s departure to Paris-Saint Germain.
It is understood that current boss Solskjaer has promised Woodward that the same mistakes will not be made and the Norwegian’s strict new wage structure was the main factor in the club securing former Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek.
According to the report, Solskjaer and van de Beek held a private phone conversation in which the club’s new wage structure was explained to the Dutchman who was eager to fit into these financial plans.
The feeling within the report is that Solskjaer will sacrifice top summer transfer targets if they do not agree to meet the club’s new wage structure.
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