Manchester United are believed to be stepping up their interest in Atalanta striker, Rasmus Hojlund, amid reports that the Red Devils have lodged a concrete bid to sign the towering Dane.
What's the latest on Hojlund to Man United?
As per journalist, Graeme Bailey, United have made an "offer" worth in the region of €60m (£51m) in an attempt to prise the 20-year-old from the Serie A side, with Erik ten Hag seemingly keen to get the deal wrapped up as soon as possible, amid the current shortage of centre-forward options at the club.
Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed: "Manchester United make offer worth €60m for Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund and talks are ongoing between the two clubs. Understand United want this agreeing by next week with Erik Ten Hag eager to get him into the squad."
In his attached piece for 90min, Bailey adds that while the bid has not yet been rejected by the Serie A side, the Old Trafford outfit are ready to lodge an increased offer in order to get closer to Atalanta's reported €70m (£60m) valuation.
As also reported by The Athletic's David Ornstein, Ten Hag and co are not alone in their interest in the former Sturm Graz ace, with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain having also made an offer of their own.
How would Hojlund fit in at Man United?
As United slipped to their first pre-season defeat against Real Madrid in the early hours of Thursday morning, Ten Hag was asked by BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone as to whether his side's missed chances on the night showcased the need for a new striker. The Dutchman's response was emphatic: "Absolutely".
With Anthony Martial yet again nursing an injury after having missed 27 games last term – including the FA Cup final – and with the hapless Wout Weghorst, who scored just twice last season, no longer at the club, the Premier League side are simply crying out for a figure to lead the line.
In the top flight in 2022/23, only Marcus Rashford (17) managed to reach double figures among the United squad, with midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes finishing in second place with a tally of eight goals from his playmaking berth.
While hardly prolific himself, young Hojlund did eclipse the Portugal international's tally after netting nine league goals in Italy, while his tally of 16 goals in all competitions – including his early season form in Austria – was also more than Fernandes achieved across all fronts (14).
It would not be the latter man that Hojlund's arrival would impact, however, with it potentially set to spell bad news for Jadon Sancho, as the Englishman has only recently begun to hit stride after being trialled in a false nine berth over the last few games.
While that experiment – which saw the Englishman rifle home against Arsenal at the weekend – is seemingly a 'geniune attempt' to see if he can be deployed in that role in the upcoming season, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell, Sancho's hopes of establishing himself in an unorthodox central berth are likely to be impacted by the addition of a big money centre-forward, like the Denmark international.
Lauded as "extraordinary" by current boss Gian Piero Gasperini, Hojlund would still be something of a gamble due to his relative inexperience – having notched just 27 club career goals to date – although his haul of 14 goals and assists in 34 games for his current side is an impressive return, with Sancho, meanwhile, recording just ten goal involvements in 41 outings last term.
With the 23-year-old also not typically deployed through the middle it may be worth opting for a more conventional option when the new campaign kicks off, hence turning to the Copenhagen native as Ten Hag's long-term, striking solution.
