Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Sent 'Wrong Side Of Manchester' Text To Erling Haaland When He Signed For City

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer congratulated Erling Haaland on his move to Manchester City with a cheeky 'wrong side of Manchester' text message.

After months of speculation surrounding his future at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland finally completed a £51.2 million move to Premier League champions City last month.

The Norwegian forward has penned a five-year deal worth a reported £375,000-a-week at the Etihad – a contract that rivals Kevin De Bruyne as the club's top earner.

In the end, Haaland decided to join his father's former club, City. But at one stage, local rivals United looked to be in the driving seat to sign the Norwegian striker when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge.

Solskjaer, who managed the prolific goalscorer during his time at Eliteserien side Molde, is a big fan of the player and the feeling is mutual.

“He [Solskjaer] has had a huge impact on my life, both as a person and as a trainer,” Haaland told TV2 in September 2019. “He won the Champions League and was an incredibly good player. He has taught me a lot."

Image credit: Alamy

The pair have kept in touch over the years and when Haaland penned a deal with City in June, former United boss Solskjaer penned a good luck message to his friend... kind of.

"When I signed with City he congratulated me and wrote to me 'Good luck on going to the wrong side of Manchester'," Haaland to The Manchester Evening News.

"We talk sometimes. As you know, he had a huge impact on my career when I was at Molde. He's a good guy."

Image credit: Alamy

In the past, Haaland has credited the former United boss for improving his overall game.

"When I came to Molde as a 16-year-old boy, he taught me a lot of things from day one. He was my coach then and he taught me a lot of things,” he told ESPN in 2020.

“He was a striker, I’m a striker and he has won the Champions League and that’s also a dream for me, so he’s been teaching me a lot of finishing skills and small movements in the box and these kind of things.”

Solskjaer, meanwhile, has kept a close eye on his former player.

“When you have had kids and players through as a coach, you follow them and I keep in touch with Erling,” Solskjaer said last year.

“It’s great to see him become the player he has become and [how] he works to improve all the time."

Topics: Erling Haaland, Manchester City, Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United

Jack Kenmare

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

@jackkenmare_