Man Utd have secret weapon in race for lethal striker with Ten Hag favourite tipped to play ‘key role’ and unlock deal
Manchester United may have the upper hand when it comes to the hunt for a rising European striker after a report outlined how one of Erik ten Hag’s stars will play a crucial role in his transfer.
Man Utd ended the season with one trophy after beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in late February. The Red Devils were hoping to add the FA Cup and Europa League crowns to that triumph, but they did not manage to make it a treble for the campaign. They lost 2-1 to rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final and were dumped out of the Europa League in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Sevilla.
Ten Hag and his Man Utd squad will be raring to go next season after witnessing City win a treble involving the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
One of the main differences between the two teams during the recent campaign is that City had a centre-forward they could rely on for constant goals, whereas Man Utd did not.
Erling Haaland, who was suggested to Man Utd by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a teenager, enjoyed an incredible debut season at the Etihad, breaking a host of records by scoring 52 goals in 53 appearances. He is arguably the only player who might be able to challenge Lionel Messi for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Man Utd’s striker options this term were Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst. Between them, they only scored 11 goals across all competitions.
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Weghorst has headed back to Burnley at the end of his loan, while Ten Hag is likely to sanction a permanent exit for Martial this summer.
Of course, Man Utd do have Marcus Rashford in their squad, and he is more than capable of scoring plenty of goals. But the England international would rather play on the left flank, which means Ten Hag must be backed with a huge striker capture ahead of next season.
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And Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund is one player who could fill this void. The 20-year-old is picking up comparisons with Haaland due to his effectiveness in front of goal, despite his tender age.
This season, Hojlund notched 16 goals in 42 matches, as well as chipping in with seven assists.
The Manchester Evening News claim midfielder Christian Eriksen, who is one of Ten Hag’s regular starters when fit, might play an integral part in Hojlund’s potential move to Old Trafford.
Eriksen and Hojlund are international team-mates at Denmark. They are currently on international duty ahead of Denmark’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Slovenia.
The report explains how Eriksen may keep tabs on Hojlund to see how he trains and what his mentality is like. He will then report back to Ten Hag and Man Utd to let them know if he feels the rising star has good enough potential to shine in the Premier League.
Plus, the international fixtures will be a chance for Hojlund to quiz Eriksen on what life is like at Man Utd and how he can best prepare for the move.
Eriksen could actually convince Hojlund that moving to Old Trafford is the best next step for his career. This would help Man Utd reach an agreement over personal terms with the attacker far more easily, with Eriksen’s role in the deal potentially ‘key’.
The four-cap international would probably love to sign for Man Utd too, after calling them a ‘huge club’ recently.
Admittedly, Hojlund is not the only striker on Ten Hag’s radar. Harry Kane and Randal Kolo Muani are both of interest to the Dutchman, while Man Utd could also join the race for Kylian Mbappe after he announced he would not be extending his PSG contract by a further year.
Man Utd must take time to work out which striker will best fit their squad and Ten Hag’s style of play. Signing the right striker will help them get closer to the likes of City and Arsenal next season.
