Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed how close Erling Haaland was to signing for Manchester United in January 2020.
The Norwegian striker was impressing at Red Bull Salzburg and then-United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believed he'd wrapped up a deal for a player he knew well from Molde.
But reports at the time suggested that United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward pulled out of the deal because of Mino Raiola's agent fee and a reluctance to insert a release clause in Haaland's contract.
That allowed Watzke and Dortmund to swoop just before the January 2020 transfer window and snatch the prolific striker from beneath United's noses.