'I'm not even interested in him!' - Man Utd legend Paul Parker explains why he Would reject Erling Haaland and urges club to target Man City starlet instead

In a footballing world where almost every elite club is desperate for a goalscorer of Haaland's calibre, Parker has provided a contrarian view that will certainly spark debate among the Old Trafford faithful. The former Manchester United full-back, who enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with the club during the early 1990s, has stated that he would actively turn down the opportunity to bring the Manchester City superstar to the Red Devils. While Haaland's statistical output remains unparalleled in the modern era, Parker is unconvinced that the forward's profile aligns with what he wants to see from a United team.

Speaking about a potential move for the Norwegian, Parker delivered a blunt assessment of his preferences for the squad. "It's probably not realistic anyway, but I wouldn't take Haaland at Man Utd. I wouldn't want to see him at the club with the way he plays. I would say no to him. He is an easy one for everyone to look at but it wouldn't be me. I am not even interested in him," he told Mirror.

Instead of focusing on blockbuster attacking signings, Parker believes the priority for Manchester United must be the stabilisation of their defensive unit. He has pinpointed two players in particular who he believes would add the necessary steel and composure to a backline that has often looked vulnerable.

He expressed clear interest in these profiles, stating: "I would be looking at Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi. Nico O'Reilly is a super player. Elliot Anderson doesn't interest me at all. Guehi isn't the player he was at Crystal Palace, but Man Utd needs straightening in the back four and he is the one I would be looking at."

The debate surrounding Haaland and Manchester United is not a new one, and former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously opened up about how close the club came to securing his services before his price tag skyrocketed. Solskjaer worked with his compatriot during their time together at Molde and recognized the striker's potential long before the rest of the world caught on.

Solskjaer detailed the timeline of these events, explaining that he made contact with the club as early as 2018. “I had him [Haaland] in Molde, for two seasons. The summer before I got here, I rang the club and said, ‘You’ve got to sign this boy. He’ll be top class’. That was June, July 2018, and they said no. They had enough reports on players."

He added: "Then I became the caretaker manager, and we’d sold Haaland to RB Salzburg. I tell the club straight away to buy him while he has a release clause. We knew that then, and no one else would’ve paid the money €20m, it would’ve been a bargain. It was the club’s decision to not go for it then. We never made bids or went in for him, until after he started scoring for Salzburg. By then, Borussia Dortmund were there, Juventus were there, everyone was there. His release clause then was still good - €60m."

While United fans may ponder what could have been, Haaland has spent his time in England shattering every record in sight. His impact at City has been nothing short of historic, helping them to multiple Premier League titles and a long-awaited European crown. His recent form has seen him eclipse some of the greatest names to ever play the game, including Lionel Messi. Statistics show that Haaland needed only 60 games to reach 60 goals in the elite European competition, a feat that Messi took 80 games to hit during his illustrious career with Barcelona.