Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'passed up' signing Bayern Munich player at Man Utd after personal request

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided against signing a key member of Bayern Munich's current side during his three-year reign as Manchester United manager.

Bayern are said to be 'monitoring' Solskjaer as a potential interim manager if they sack Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel is under increasing pressure at the Allianz Arena after his side lost three matches in a row against Bayer Leverkusen, Lazio and Bochum.

Solskjaer, meanwhile, is ready to take over a new project, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who says the original plan is to continue with Tuchel at the helm.

That being said, performances could continue to plummet and Bayern's sporting director Christoph Freund has been a fan of free agent Solskjaer for a number of years.

The Norwegian, who was appointed United's interim manager in December 2018 following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, certainly enjoyed the opening stages of his reign at Old Trafford.

After being hired on a full-time basis in March 2019, he boasted a win ratio of 50 per cent in all competitions during his first year in charge – a record that featured 14 wins from his first 17 games in charge.

He ultimately failed to replicate that form in the final months of his time in charge, with his side lacking strength in depth across the park, especially in defensive areas.

Solskjaer wanted to sign a centre-back but decided against bringing Dayot Upamecano to the club because he prioritised a left-footed player to add balance to the team.

That's according to ESPN, who said in 2021 that United did not attempt to rival Bayern Munich's move for Upamecano, even if his £37 million release clause did peak interest.

Ultimately, Solskjaer's desire to sign a left-footed defender was evident – especially after his conversation with Nathan Ake in 2020.

Image credit: Getty

Despite their interest in Solskjaer as a potential interim, Bayern see Zinedine Zidane as their first choice replacement for Thomas Tuchel.

Topics: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United, Premier League, Bayern Munich, Bundesliga

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

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