If Erik ten Hag wants to build upon an impressive debut season in England, with saw Manchester United secure their first trophy since 2017 and Champions League football, then a new striker must be signed.
However, the process of pinpointing the right man is proving to be an exhaustive and tricky process.
The Dutchman’s mantra for a new frontman is “no risk” – a guarantee of goals from a consistent focal point.
Throughout the season, the Red Devils lacked potency, scoring just 58 goals from an expected goals (xG) of 68.74 as only Chelsea and Everton had worse discrepancies from chances created.
One name that could solve this problem and has been constantly linked to Old Trafford is Rasmus Hojlund.
What’s the latest on Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United?
According to The Athletic, Hojlund’s agents SEG held talks with Atalanta as the club confirmed that his fee in this market would be €100m (£85m).
The 20-year-old is reportedly “keen” to join United and further discussions over the player are expected in the near future.
The report also details that the forward has already experienced “some friction” with his current manager Gian Piero Gasperini and feels “ready” for the next step.
However, his current club is unlikely to budge from their asking price so will take a monstrous fee for this transfer to materialise.
Who can Rasmus Hojlund replace at Manchester United?
In a stirring breakout season in Italy, the youngster has operated primarily as a striker and has registered 23 goal involvements in 46 outings in all competitions.
His physicality, pace, and finishing ability have been recognised as his most impressive qualities by Gasperini, who said: “Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too.”
The prodigy has all the attributes to excel in English football, and he could be the answer to replace Anthony Martial as Ten Hag’s preferred striker.
The Frenchman has endured an injury-ravaged term, having only appeared for 1,432 minutes out of a possible 5,640, and may not even be fit for the start of the upcoming campaign due to a hamstring tear.
A debate still rages on over the ex-Monaco star’s best position and the fan's trust has wavered on various stages due to his fitness problems and inconsistency.
Whilst Martial is undoubtedly still a useful asset and will be a pivotal source of depth next season, he has emphatically underlined that he isn’t the regular goalscorer that United desperately requires, only scoring nine goals this term.
That is a great deal less than Hojlund who has been a "monster in the making" – as per scout Jacek Kulig – having scored 16 throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Indeed, the Dane is clearly a traditional number nine, who under Ten Hag’s meticulous guidance and development, could be just the upgrade the manager is looking for with a missing piece of the puzzle in the United attack potentially set to be discovered.