Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keeps quiet on Erling Haaland speculation

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United will keep their transfer dealings private as he refused to be drawn into the public battle for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland’s signature.

There are few more sought-after players in world football than the dynamic 20-year-old, who has scored 21 goals in 21 appearances in the Bundesliga this season.

Haaland spurned United’s advances to join Dortmund from RB Salzburg in December 2019, but speculation has continued about the Norway international linking up with his former manager at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer coached the striker at Molde and talk of a summer departure from BVB has intensified after the player’s agent Mino Raiola and father Alf-Inge Haaland were pictured in Spain.

Asked if he can afford to miss out on Haaland again, the United boss said: “Well, I’m focusing on the next two months and whatever happens in the world of football… there’s only so many places anyone can go to.

“I just focus on the ones who are here and even though I’ve worked with Erling it’s not right for me as a Man United manager (to be) talking about Erling.

“I can talk about him as an ex coach of his but he will make his own mind up.”

Solskjaer refused to confirm Haaland was a summer target when pushed on the striker, who has been linked to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City and United among others.

“I think the way the world works at the moment, you’d like to do, of course, all your business on the quiet and all your talks on the quiet,” the United boss said.

“But there’s platforms everywhere, there’s news – the media now makes that more and more difficult. Who can you trust?

“Hopefully we can suddenly sit here with players that no-one’s written about and thought we’re going to go to.

“We conduct our recruitment business or scouting and the players that we are interested in, we do it the right way I hope and feel.

“Of course we have a plan (on summer signings and departures) ahead and plan that we think’s going to happen.

“Two months is a long time in football as well. Things might change.

“There’s obviously a couple of players whose future is not decided yet – some without contracts, some with contracts.

“We do have a certain picture of how we think the squad is going to look in August.”