Manchester United have a not-so-secret weapon this summer as they attempt to lure one of Europe's hottest prospects to Old Trafford.
Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund has earned comparisons to Erling Haaland and it is easy to see why. His pace and strength is similar to the Norwegian talisman and he also holds a special place in his heart for a Manchester club.
Yes, as has been well reported, the 20-year-old is a fan of United so it is unlikely he would need much convincing to move to Old Trafford. However, to ensure Hojlund is not tempted by other big clubs, the Reds have begun employing a tactic which worked on the forward's countryman, Christian Eriksen.
For some time, United have lacked a manager who can sell the club to a player but Erik ten Hag has already proven he can do just that. Eriksen is the perfect example of a player who was tempted by the vision which was sold to him by the boss.
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Speaking in April, the midfielder admitted it was a conversation with Ten Hag which made his mind up. "Well, I ended up being at Brentford until the summer, obviously and the contract was running out," he told UTD Podcast.
"So I was free to talk to other clubs and I kept my possibilities open. At the time, I wasn’t closed down on going back to Brentford, I wanted to see what else came in or [if] something could tempt me away from how good it was there.
"And then, of course, United came in. [I was] speaking to the manager on the phone and then I could actually see myself going to United. Luckily, they pulled through [to make the move] and I did as well. So, in the end, coming here was definitely very special."
Interestingly, MEN Sport understands Ten Hag has also held phone calls with Hojlund multiple times about a move to the Theatre of Dreams. Next week, Eriksen and Hojlund will link up for Denmark's Euro 2024 qualifiers and you would be surprised if United is not on their agenda.
United will hope Ten Hag's phone calls can have the same effect on Hojlund that they had on Eriksen.
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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