Manchester United are about to make their third signing of the season. It’s a frontline striker.
Fabrizio Romano, a journalist who is familiar with European soccer news, said on June 26 (KST), “Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Rasmus Hojlund. It is a five-year contract. It includes an option for a further year. United will make a formal offer this week, but it will not be in the range of 90-100 million euros ($127-141 million).”
Last season, the Red Devils enjoyed a resurgence under Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman took over last summer and brought his colors to the team, bringing in the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, and Anthony. After a rocky start to the season, he quickly stabilized and got the team back on track, winning the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) in the process. 먹튀검증
They finished the season in third place. They returned to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time in two seasons. They also made it to the final of the English FA Cup, but had to settle for runner-up honors, losing to “rivals” Manchester City.
Despite getting the team back on track in just one season, United have a big problem on their hands. It’s the lack of a frontline striker. United scored just 58 goals in the English Premier League (EPL) last season. That’s 36 goals behind first-place Manchester City (94) and lower than Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United. Van Gaal has realized this, and he’s targeting a frontline player this summer.
He has openly admitted that he needs a No. 9. In an interview with Talk Sport in April, Van Gaal said, “I think everyone knows that. It’s no secret that we are short of a number nine in the long term and throughout the season,” he said.
“First we lost Cristiano Ronaldo, then Anthony Martial didn’t play often enough. Then we were short of frontline players. We have to play a lot of games with fewer players. We definitely need someone to strengthen the squad up front,” he added.
This is why United have been linked with a number of strikers. United were linked with Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, and Dusan Blagojevich at the start of the transfer window. However, all of these players are demanding more than 100 million euros ($143 million), making them difficult to sign.
In the end, the Red Devils will look to sign Hojelun, who has been nicknamed the “next Holland. He is a striker with a lot of potential. He’s already been nicknamed the Danish Holland and is a promising prospect. He joined Atalanta last summer and has 10 goals and four assists in 34 games across all competitions. In March, he caught the eye of the Danish national team, exploding for five goals in two games.
He has a lot going for him, including quick feet, the ability to press forward, and the ability to use his 6-foot-3 frame to win aerial balls. However, he has been criticized for his poor footwork. Nevertheless, he’s definitely the type of player United need right now.
The problem is the transfer fee. The Telegraph reported on May 25 that “United are unwilling to pay more than £60m for Hojelun. At this stage, it is unlikely that United will challenge the £100 million ($164 billion) for Kane.”
Having already made two signings, United have £21 million ($34.5 billion) left in their transfer budget. “United have spent £99 million of their £120 million budget on Mason Mount and Andre Onana,” the Telegraph explained.
“United will make £20 million ($32.8 billion) in transfers for Alex Telles (Al Nasr) and Anthony Martial (Nottingham Forest). It is clear that United will need to sell more players if they are to avoid being capped in future transfer windows.”