Manchester United cannot ‘ride on name’ to attract players like Erling Haaland, says Andy Cole

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Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has said the Premier League club does not have the pulling power it had in the past.

Cole joined United in 1995 and went on to make nearly 200 appearances for the Red Devils while scoring just shy of 100 goals.

But the 49-year-old does not believe that top players around the world see United as such an attractive destination as previous generations did.

READ MORE: United epitomise problem with drab ‘big six’ games

“To get these guys to come – Haaland for instance – you’ve got to entice them with something. You’ve got to entice them with the possibility of winning silverware or being a year away from it,” Cole told the Mirror.

“These guys are going to have other options – possibly Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, maybe Barcelona.

“If you’re playing and have the option of all these clubs, where would United really figure at this moment in time?

“Even though I love United, I don’t think the club now can ride on its name alone, especially when you’re trying to bring these players in.

“It’s not like when I signed for United. We have to be brutally honest, back then everybody wanted to go there.

“We’re talking 2021 now. Does everyone want to go to United now? I’m not quite sure everyone wants to now.”

Haaland is one of the hottest prospects in Europe right now, having scored 27 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions this season.

The striker, who is still just 20 years old, joined Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg in January 2020.