Early in 2020, Manchester United were in desperate need of a striker and Joshua King’s name had emerged as an option.
Back then, the Carrington graduate was at Bournemouth and in the previous Premier League season had scored 12 goals for the Cherries and racked up three assists.
He’d become a semi-reliable goalscorer in the top-flight and now King has opened up about what happened when Manchester United came calling for him.
He revealed to NRK’s Bakrommet podcast that playing for the Red Devils once again was his dream but Bournemouth’s demands caused an issue.
King said, as relayed by VG: “The dream was to play for United. Now United are struggling with a striker. They have a Norwegian coach who is interested. Put an offer on the table, and I came there for free. And then you say no to £25m.
“He (Eddie Howe) said: Joshua, I won’t stand in your way, but the club wants x number of millions.”
The Norwegian also revealed his reaction when he got to know that Manchester United ended up signing Odion Ighalo during that window.
He said: “I just sat in the jacuzzi for two or three hours waiting for the phone. I called Jim [Solbakken, his agent], who was working on that deal. And then I remember reading “Ighalo ready for United”. Then I was completely devastated. Then I was way down.”
The 33-year-old also stated that he still doesn’t know how the move didn’t go through, but this prompted him to leave the Cherries.
“I don’t know if it came from Eddie or if it came from the club. But it came from somewhere. And that was part of the reason why I wanted to leave Bournemouth and try a new chapter.”
King did end up leaving the South Coast club in early 2021 – about a year after he could have rejoined Manchester United.
Since Bournemouth, King has been at Everton, Watford, Fenerbahce, and is now with French club Toulouse.
