RED NO DAY
Ole: I won’ t bid for Aguero – I value loyalty
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has ruled out any chance of a move for Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero – because he values loyalty above everything.
Pep Guardiola’s shock decision to allow Argentina striker Aguero to leave this summer after a decade of goals and success at the Etihad has sparked speculation he could move across town to United.
Red boss Solskjaer is in the hunt for a centre-forward, with the future of veteran Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani up in the air just six months after signing a short-term deal.
United have also been linked with £150million Borussia Dortmund goal machine Erling Haaland, with his controversial agent Mino Raiola already talking with Barcelona and Real Madrid officials about a move.
Although Aguero would cost a fraction of that outlay in terms of a
I wouldn’t expect any player who has played for a club for 10 years to want to go to their local rivals. It’s not
for me.
package, Solskjaer has stamped on the rumours – and claimed he could never sign a player who has spent 10 years with a rival club.
The Old Trafford boss famously called out fellow 1999 Treble winner Peter Schmeichel for quitting United after the history-making Champions League final win over Bayern Munich and ending up at City.
Shocked
Danish goalkeeper Schmeichel initially went to Sporting Lisbon but after a spell at Aston Villa he then finished his career at City – with Solskjaer shocked he could play for United’s Manchester rivals.
Solskjaer said: “When I played for Man United, if a rival club tried to sign me, and I had gone... well, where’s the loyalty?
“Loyalty is one of the values I really, really put highly.
“I wouldn’t expect any player who has played for a club for 10 years to want to go to their local rivals.
“It’s not for me. I know we’re professionals, but when you play for Man United you don’t go to Man City.
“We’ve had examples of that and I didn’t really agree with it.
“I won’t name names but you all know who I mean. Enough said.”
Schmeichel’s decision still rankles with the United boss – but the big Dane isn’t the only former United star to make the move in the last 22 years.
Andy Cole, another
Treble winner, moved to City towards the end of his career, while
England star Owen
Hargreaves was the last
United player to make the short journey in 2011 as he tried to resurrect his career after several knee injuries.
In between, Carlos Tevez also made the same switch in a blaze of publicity in 2009 with City taunting their red rivals with the infamous, ‘Welcome to Manchester’ banner .
Tony Coton – now Old Trafford’s goalkeeping coach – was the last player to make the opposite move from City to United in 1996 but never played a first-team game.
Solskjaer has admitted that although he would like to do early business he is prepared to wait until the last day of the summer transfer window on August 9 to get the right player. He has been linked with moves for a striker, centre-back and full-back but the Norwegian boss admits the Covid pandemic has altered the transfer landscape – even for United.
“We’d all like the squad sorted as soon as possible. I’m not the one in the trenches with the negotiations but so far we’ve done a really good job.
“We had to wait for Bruno Fernandes but we knew he was the one and that worked out well.
“This summer there is an opportunity, even though this window will be different to any other because of the pandemic and the money that teams have lost.”