Manchester United News: Red Devils send chief scout to watch RB Salzburg striker Erling Haaland

According to The Atheltic, Manchester United have sent chief scout Simon Wells to watch Red Bull Salzburg's goalscoring sensation Erling Haaland. The 19-year-old has been a revelation this season and has burst onto the scene since sealing a move for Molde in January, where he worked alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Son of Alf-Inge Haaland, the towering striker has quickly made a name for himself as one of the most potent attackers in world football and it has been reported that as many as 25 clubs across Europe are gunning for his signature.

Manchester United are short-staffed upfront after the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez this summer and the club are believed to have jumped ahead of the queue to sign the Norwegian hotshot. Haaland has scored a staggering 22 goals in 16 games this season, including four hattricks and capped off his debut in the Champions League with a stunning treble against Genk on matchday one, as Salzburg registered a 6-2 victory.

The Red Devils have been keeping tabs on the youngster for over a year now and their decision to send Simon Wells, who has recently been promoted to the role of chief scout, represents a clear statement of intent and the record English champions look primed to make a move for the youngster in the summer.

Haaland is expected to cost upwards of £60 million after his goalscoring exploits in recent months and United are following his progress closely, as they look to bolster their ranks upfront. The club only added Daniel James this summer and failed to replace Lukaku and Sanchez, after the pair sealed moves to the Serie A with Inter Milan.

Mario Mandzukic is also one the Red Devils' shortlist as they look for a temporary solution to get their season back on track. The Croatian international has not featured for Juventus this season and has been frozen out of the squad after a transfer to the Middle East failed to materialize. United view Mandzukic as the ideal mid-season solution and could snap up the 33-year-old on a short-term deal, as they aim to reinforce their squad in January.

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