Ed Woodward has revealed the reasons why Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Erling Haaland of Manchester City were passed over by Manchester United while playing for their former clubs.
When Woodward took over as United’s chief executive in 2013 from David Gill, he faced harsh criticism.
Under Woodward’s leadership, the Red Devils committed a number of crucial transfer errors. One of his worst decisions may have been the £89 million purchase he made to re-sign Paul Pogba from Serie A club Juventus.
It became clear at the conclusion of his term that Woodward was crucial to Man Utd’s participation in the projected European Super League. The 52-year-old quit towards the end of the 2020–21 season since this breakaway league did not work out.
Woodward explained why Man Utd were unable to sign Bellingham and Haaland in an ESPN article. According to the report:
‘When contacted by ESPN, Woodward said that United would not match Dortmund’s guarantee of “minutes” for Bellingham, while Haaland, in United’s view, was always destined for City.’
This happened even though Haaland, Bellingham and Declan Rice were transfer targets of former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
According to a former teammate of Solskjaer, who talked to ESPN:
“Ole wanted to bring down the age of the squad, so he identified three young players and told the club they should prioritize signing them.
“United messed up moves for Haaland and Bellingham and didn’t even make an effort for Rice. But they did sign Donny van de Beek, despite him not even being a player that Ole had identified as a target.”
United would be hoping to avoid the mistakes the club made under Woodward in the INEOS era. New chief executive Omar Berrada has a tough job at his hands and considering the good work he has done for Manchester City in the past, fans can be hopeful of a bright future for the club.
