Erik ten Hag 'desperate for Manchester United to secure Rasmus Hojlund deal'

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag is reportedly pushing for his club to sign Atalanta BC forward Rasmus Hojlund during this summer's transfer window.

The 20-year-old has seemingly emerged as the English team's leading target in the final third of the field, with deals for Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen now thought to be unlikely.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be refusing to sell Kane to a domestic rival, while Napoli are believed to want as much as £150m for Osimhen, who is seemingly set to stay in Naples for at least another season.

Eintracht Frankfurt's Kolo Randal Muani and Benfica's Goncalo Ramos have also been linked with switches to Old Trafford, although both players could also prove to be too expensive, with Man United potentially only having £65m to spend on a new forward this summer.

The speculation surrounding Hojlund has gathered pace over the last few days, with the Denmark international thought to be Man United's number one target at this moment in time.

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According to Corriere di Bergamo, Ten Hag is prepared to do 'whatever it takes' to sign the forward, with the Red Devils now stepping up their pursuit of him.

Last month, there were suggestions that Atalanta had placed a £86m valuation on Hojlund in a bid to warn off interested clubs, with Chelsea also said to be admirers.

However, recent reports have suggested that Man United are confident of agreeing a deal with Atalanta, and an offer of £40m is allegedly being lined up, having failed with an opening bid of £30m.

The Dane, who has a contract with his Italian club until June 2027, scored nine goals and registered four assists in 32 Serie A appearances during the 2022-23 campaign.

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Hojlund managed 10 goals and four assists in 34 appearances for Atalanta in all competitions, meanwhile, having made the move to the club from Sturm Graz.

Man United signed Wout Weghorst on loan in January in response to Cristiano Ronaldo's exit, but the Netherlands international failed to score a single Premier League goal during his time at the club.

Weghorst is highly unlikely to return to Old Trafford on a permanent basis, but there is still a chance that two new forwards could join this summer, depending on Anthony Martial's future.

Martial struggled with injury problems last season and will allegedly be available for the right price this summer, but he is unlikely to leave unless Hojlund arrives alongside another striker.

Man United, who signed Mason Mount from Chelsea on Wednesday, are currently building towards their first pre-season friendly of the summer against Leeds United on July 12.