A former Manchester United ace, who won three Premier League titles with the Red Devils, has claimed he wouldn't sign Erling Haaland for Michael Carrick's current side.

That's a bold claim, especially considering United are enduring a five-match winless streak, having won just two of their opening nine matches of the 2026/27 season following Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

By contrast, Haaland, one of the best strikers in world football, is in his usual scintillating form in front of goal, netting nine times in 10 appearances as the Cityzens sit top of the league and cruising under Enzo Maresca.

No Red Devil has scored more than three goals this term, laying bare the problems United continue to have in attack despite last summer's splurge that saw Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko welcomed through Old Trafford's doors.

Ex-Man Utd Ace Explains Why He Wouldn't Sign Erling Haaland

Speaking to PariuriX.com, Paul Parker - who played 146 times for Man United during the formative years of Fergie's dynasty - bizarrely claimed Haaland isn't the type of player that his former side currently needs. He claimed:

“It's probably not realistic anyway, but I wouldn't take Haaland at Man Utd. I wouldn't want to see him at the club with the way he plays. I would say no to him. He is an easy one for everyone to look at, but it wouldn't be me. I am not even interested in him.”

Given United's continued problems at the top end of the pitch, his comments are borderline crazy. While Parker was at the club, Eric Cantona and Andy Cole were among those that made the striker position look so easy.

However, Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund, and many others in recent years, have complicated things for the Red Devils. There are two players from their noisy neighbours who Parker thinks Carrick could benefit from owning, though.

The 2 City Players Paul Parker Would Sign instead

Instead of signing Haaland, Parker would prefer his beloved former Red Devils to focus their attention on reshaping their defensive unit, which would benefit hugely from the acquisitions of England duo Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi. He continued:

“I would be looking at Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi. Nico O'Reilly is a super player. Elliot Anderson doesn't interest me at all. Marc Guehi isn't the player he was at Crystal Palace, but Man Utd needs straightening in the back four and he is the one I would be looking at.”

It would appear that the only chance United would have of raiding their blue neighbours of their key assets would be if the Cityzens faced expulsion from the Premier League following their guilty verdict.

While one of the other sanctions they could face would be a points deduction, transfer ban, and a forced change of ownership, Parker feels it's time United looked towards the latter for different reasons.

"The club needs a change of ownership. An ownership with ambition who wants Man Utd to be, as the saying goes, nicking a little bit from the person in America, who wants Man Utd to be great again. Man Utd to compete."

"Man Utd need for everyone to see that they're going to compete because no one sees them or takes them seriously anymore. As much as they still fill grounds out, cause they do, everyone goes there believing they'll win this time out. Not hoping, believing. And that's the difference now, from what it was before."

"You need owners who are real football people, who understand the sport, who are ambitious and got an ego. They want to be around something that is there with the big boys so they can actually sit round a table with the other people and kinda hold their heads up high, knowing that they are competing against them and fancy their chances."