ormer England striker Aaron Lennon revealed that Everton once turned down the chance to sign current Manchester City striker Erling Haaland for just £2 million.
In a statement reported by the Daily Mail, Lennon explained, "Everton passed on the opportunity to sign Haaland when he was still a teenager. I recall that Farhad Moshiri, who owned the club at the time, doubted the young Norwegian’s abilities and declined to pay the £2 million fee for him."
Moshiri, who spent £671 million on transfers during his eight years as Everton’s owner, chose not to invest a small sum in Haaland, despite his later rise to prominence.
Everton Overlooks Signing Erling Haaland
Lennon recounted: "I remember Haaland arriving at the club with Steve Walsh, and he was brought into the physio room where Steve introduced him to me. Steve mentioned, ‘This is Haaland. You might know his father; he played for Leeds. Hopefully, this kid signs for Everton.’"
Lennon added, "At the time, Haaland was just 15 or 16, and I didn’t know much about him. I never saw him at the club again after that. It seems they passed on him for around two or three million. Can you believe it? Just a couple of million euros could have brought Haaland to Everton, but Moshiri decided against it."
Haaland later joined Red Bull Salzburg before moving to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. In 2022, he signed with Manchester City, where he has become one of the top players globally and a standout star in the Premier League.
In 121 matches across all competitions with Manchester City, Haaland has scored an impressive 108 goals. However, his form has recently dipped, mirroring a general decline in the team’s performance.
Despite this, Haaland remains a vital figure in Manchester City’s recent achievements. He claimed the Premier League Golden Boot in the last two seasons and played a key role in helping the club secure its first-ever Champions League title.