Erling Haaland's relentless goalscoring form at Borussia Dortmund has made him one of the most coveted talents in world football. 

With the exception of Kylian Mbappe, Haaland is the most high-performing youngster on the planet and his incredibly ability to find the net has reportedly drawn interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

The Norway international has a £75m release clause that will become active in the summer window of 2022, while Dortmund will demand £150m in the upcoming window. 

The colossal valuation is certainly justified during a season in which Haaland has scored 27 goals in 26 games across all competitions. 

Not only will Man United be watching on from afar with a sense of awe, they'll also be feeling a pinch of regret. 

Indeed, the Red Devils squandered the chance to sign Haaland for a measly fee of just £3m before he agreed to join Red Bull Salzburg.

According to a report from the Daily Mirror, a logistical error from one of United's representatives paved the way for the prodigious striker to move to Austria. 

The report claims that United were due to speak to Haaland's agent Jim Solbakken at 9am to finalise the terms of a £3m plus add ons deal. 

However, Norway are one hour ahead of the UK and the call came through to Solbakken at 10am, one hour after the scheduled meeting.

By then it was already too late for the 20-time Premier League winners, with Haaland agreeing to join Red Bull Salzburg in the elapsed time.

That's a bitter sliding doors moment for United. 

A £3m deal for Haaland would have represented one of the shrewdest bargain buys, if not the shrewdest, of the modern era. 

The seven-cap Norway international has scored 92 senior career goals already and is yet to celebrate his 21st birthday. 

Along with Mbappe, he looks destined to be part of football's next major individual duopoly as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi move through the twilight years of their respective careers. 

What could have been for the Red Devils.