Erik ten Hag adopts different approach in £72m Man Utd chase of Rasmus Hojlund
Manchester United are set to steer away from their approach of typically signing a more experienced striker when Rasmus Hojlund arrives from Atalanta for £72million.
Hojlund, 20, landed in Manchester on Tuesday as he prepares to undergo his medical before becoming a United player. The Dane is expected to sign a five-year contract with an option of a further 12 months, having scored 10 goals in 34 appearances for Atalanta last season.
He will become United's third arrival of the transfer window after Mason Mount made the £60m move from Chelsea and Andre Onana joined in a £45m deal from Inter Milan. It takes the Red Devils' summer spending to over £150m, despite Ten Hag previously only having around £120m to use.
Ten Hag has been desperately searching for a striker following Wout Weghorst's return to Burnley and Cristiano Ronaldo's departure last November. Anthony Martial, who is the club's only senior striker at the moment, has struggled for fitness, meaning Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have had to play up front in pre-season.
But, finally, after a summer-long search, Ten Hag has another recognised striker to call upon, although Hojlund isn't the type of centre forward United would usually target. Over the past decade, the Red Devils had previously signed just one frontman under the age of 23.
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Rasmus Hojlund is set to join Manchester United (Getty Images)Ironically, that was Martial when he made the £35m switch from Monaco in 2015, aged 19. The France international has been a good servant to the Red Devils over the years, scoring 88 times in 298 appearances, but he hasn't been able to keep fit and available in recent times. Romelu Lukaku (24) was the second youngest behind Martial.
Meanwhile, United have signed six strikers over the age of 28. Radamel Falcao (28), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (35), Odion Ighalo (30), Edinson Cavani (33), Ronaldo (36) and Weghorst (30) are those that United brought in, with mixed success between the half a dozen of them.
Harry Kane would have been added to the list of more experienced front men, as United chased a move for the Tottenham star earlier in the window. But the England international is instead closing in on a switch to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich ahead of a proposed £90m transfer.
But Hojlund is the man United are signing, with the forward becoming their youngest senior striker signing since Martial back in 2015 - as Ten Hag begins to lower the age of his Red Devils squad. Hojlund could be available for United's pre-season outing against Lens at Old Trafford on Sunday.
If not, the Denmark international is almost certainly going to be ready for United's first Premier League match when they take on Wolves on August 14 - just as Ten Hag wanted. Hojlund is also set to play in the Champions League for the first time after United finished third last term.
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