Man United have made an offer for Joshua King today, which was rejected by Bournemouth. United are now considering a second bid for the striker, in an effort to land him before the deadline. Bournemouth rejected the bid for their player because they believe he’s crucial for the team’s relegation battle.
King already worked with Solskjaer
It is understood Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finds King to be a perfect replacement for the injured Marcus Rashford. The Norwegian international knows Solskjaer very well, as he played for United’s U23 side under his guidance, although the striker failed to secure a first-team spot back then.
“I know what Manchester United means to him so let’s wait and see. Josh is much valued and loved by us and obviously, another club has seen how good he is so let’s wait and see,” said Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe on Friday.
“He’s a massive part of our team. He’s got a unique pace and strength coupled with technical ability and an eye for goal. Speaking as the manager of the club, I’d be very reluctant to lose a player of that quality and from our point of view, the difficulty is how late it is in the window to find a replacement.”
Howe was also asked about the possibility of United making another offer for King:
“It’s a difficult question for me to answer because a lot of these things are out of my control. It’s not my call. It’s for the chief executive and the owner. All I can say is that I love Josh as a player and a person. I understand his position. I know what Manchester United means to him so let’s wait and see.”
The 28-year old Norwegian international was signed by Man United in 2008 when he was 16. He played 26 games for United’s U23, scoring two goals, but only made 2 appearances – a total of 14 minutes – for the Red Devil’s first team. King was loaned out to Preston North End, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hull, and Blackburn before eventually being allowed to join Blackburn permanently in 2013.
He moved to Bournemouth on a free transfer in 2015 for the Cherries’ first-ever Premier League season. Since then, King has played 160 matches for the club, scoring 47 goals. On an international level, he has 46 games with 17 goals for Norway.
