Manchester United drops hint over their third summer signing

Manchester United‘s pursuit of a new striker is showing signs of progress, as manager Erik ten Hag admits talks are underway with Atalanta over a potential deal for Rasmus Hojlund.

Having already invested a significant portion of his £120 million transfer budget this summer, securing Andre Onana and Mason Mount, Ten Hag remains determined to address the club’s need for a new center forward.

Manchester United faced challenges in front of goal last season, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November leaving a void that was temporarily filled by the loan signing of Burnley striker Wout Weghorst.

While Weghorst made 29 appearances for the Red Devils in the latter half of the season, he managed just two goals, emphasizing the team’s requirement for a more prolific goal-scorer.

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Rasmus Hojlund, a 20-year-old talent, emerges as Manchester United’s top target for the position, but the club is unwilling to exceed their budget, setting a limit of £60 million for the Danish striker.

However, Atalanta reportedly values Hojlund at £86 million, presenting a potential obstacle in the negotiations.

Despite the financial disparity, Ten Hag remains optimistic about the situation and confirms that the club is making progress in their pursuit of a striker.

When questioned about Manchester United’s pursuit of a new forward, Ten Hag responded, “We make progress, yeah. But you know how it works – when we have him, we will tell you directly. The only thing I can say is we do everything that’s in our power to get that done. If it was up to me, yeah, as soon as possible. The earlier the better because we have to integrate him in the team, the way of play. In an ideal situation, he was already here but you do not always get ideal situations as a manager and you have to deal with the situation.”

Last season, Manchester United heavily relied on Marcus Rashford’s goal-scoring prowess, with the winger netting an impressive 30 goals in all competitions – his best campaign to date.

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However, Ten Hag believes that goal-scoring responsibilities should be distributed across the team, and the addition of Mason Mount could play a pivotal role in achieving this balance.

“We are underperforming there, and we are aware of it, so others have to contribute also in that area but therefore we are looking for scoring abilities,” explains Ten Hag. “I think with Mason Mount already we have a player extra who is capable of not only scoring goals but also to create, and to put players like Rashford into position to score more goals. But as a whole team, we have to score more.”

As negotiations continue between Manchester United and Atalanta, fans eagerly await news of Hojlund’s potential arrival at Old Trafford.

The Danish forward’s goal-scoring prowess could prove instrumental in rejuvenating the team’s attacking prowess and elevating their performance in the upcoming season.

As the transfer window remains open, the football world eagerly anticipates the developments in this exciting saga.