According to reports, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag may approve the signing of two new strikers this summer, which might be bad news for Anthony Martial. Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta is emerging as another serious possibility, and he may be more reasonably priced than initially believed, even though links to Tottenham captain Harry Kane are already well known.
After Cristiano Ronaldo's brusque departure from the Red Devils, both Martial and Wout Weghorst have attempted and failed to establish themselves as the team's key striker.
Marcus Rashford has performed admirably on the left wing this season, scoring 29 goals across all competitions. However, Ten Hag understandably wants another danger through the middle who can contribute part of the load on their own.
The United manager wants to bring in a top striker and a promising youngster this summer, according to The Times.
With 27 goals in the Premier League and counting, Kane is without a doubt among the elite, and his reputation has grown this year. Although he only has one year left on his Tottenham deal, United may have a difficult time persuading Daniel Levy, the chairman of Spurs, to work with a direct rival.
In terms of the rising star, Hojlund appears to be the front-runner. The 20-year-old has eight goals in all competitions for Atalanta this season, his first in a "big five" European league, and has scored five goals in each of his previous two matches for Denmark.
This most recent report suggests that United may be able to acquire him for far less than that, with a new price-tag of £40 million. Pacey and towering at 6 feet 3 inches tall, Corriere della Sera first placed his asking price at a whopping £60 million.
After a brief stay at Sturm Graz, Hojlund, who rose through the ranks with Copenhagen, persuaded Atalanta to sign a £15 million agreement. Following Erling Haaland's success at Manchester City, powerful, prolific Scandinavian strikers may start to emerge in the Premier League, and Martial may find himself in a precarious position if he succumbs to the urge to try to imitate Haaland.
The Frenchman's track record of physical conditioning continues to irritate fans. Even though Martial's minutes per goal ratio is still respectable, Ten Hag could want a more dependable alternative to call upon with only nine league starts this season.
If United succeeds in getting their wish of two attacking additions before next season, Martial, who is already 27 years old, would doubtless not be pleased with sitting on the bench, which might push all parties into an awkward dialogue.
Erik Ten Hag certain Marcus Rashford will pen a new deal
The manager was asked if he knew why the contract negotiations with United's number 10 were allegedly at a standstill during the pre-match news conference prior to tomorrow's encounter against Bournemouth (via the club's official website).
“Yes, I know [why], but I don’t talk about the process. Let the process go,” he said.
“Once again, this is not important at the moment for me or Rashy. For him, it is to get more goals this season and he is playing a wonderful season and the team is playing a wonderful season. We have to get into the Champions League and focus on that."
"Marcus wants to stay and we want him to stay, so I think we will find each other,” Ten Hag added.
Regarding Dean Henderson's position at the club, he was also questioned. The 26-year-old has spent the entire season on loan at Nottingham Forest after speaking out about the former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's failed promises that he would be the first choice keeper the previous season.
“Same answer,” Ten Hag said. “This is not my focus point. Recruitment, scouting, transfers … I put all my energy into the games coming up.
“This is a massive week, so our focus is on that. We are at the final of the season.”
The manager was also questioned about the takeover procedure and whether the club's ownership dispute's delay has an impact on his transfer goals.
“Of course, we do our job in the background," he replied.
"But to talk about [it] or [if] we can be concrete and we can present something, we would do it immediately. But in the background, we are working hard. But for now, it’s about games, getting into the Champions League, and then we have an FA Cup [final].”
“I don’t know. For me it’s about, yeah, finance. That there is the money available to do the right things. But first of all, we have to be in the Champions League and be in the top four. That is our focus," the manager asserted.
Post a Comment