Erling Haaland began his top-flight career at Molde
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Former Arsenal scout Brian McDermott admits a deal to bring Erling Haaland to the club was never close despite meeting with the player’s father.
The Manchester City star has set a new standard of goalscoring in the Premier League during his first season in England, bagging 17 in his opening 11 games.
As such, much has been made about the path that eventually led him to the Etihad Stadium, with moves to Manchester United and Leeds reportedly close earlier in his career.
A prodigious talent at Molde, Haaland is believed to have attracted huge interest as a teenager before moving to Red Bull Salzburg, with Arsenal one of many leading clubs to have cast a keen eye over his fledgling career.
McDermott, who played for the north London giants between 1979 and 1984, later worked as a scout across two spells between 2014 and 2020.
The former Reading manager told The Athletic: ““People can say such-and-such a club could have had him, but a lot of it is pie in the sky.
“I watched Haaland three times and I was, like, ‘Blimey, who is this kid?’. I met his dad and we had really good conversations, but I felt they knew the path they wanted for him.
“You can go to a massive club at that age and you can get lost. I’m not saying he would have done, because he was outstanding, but I just sensed he and his dad wanted to do it differently.
“It was already written.”
