Manchester City set the standard in the Premier League and Manchester United are striving to reach their level with Erik ten Hag.
The gulf in quality between the two sides was emphasised by the team's respective options on the bench in the FA Cup final last weekend. Ten Hag would love a striker of Julian Alvarez's quality, for example, but he's been stuck with Wout Weghorst.
Weghorst was a stop-gap loan signing in January and the club has no intention to make a permanent offer for him, unsurprisingly.
Alvarez is a back-up striker at the Etihad and yet he's got the talent to be first-choice a few miles away at Old Trafford.
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United have struggled for goals this season and Ten Hag has made signing a world-class centre-forward his priority this summer, with Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, Rasmus Hojlund, Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos all being followed.
Ten Hag has been described as 'obsessed' with signing Kane, but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy does not want to sell his club's record all-time scorer to a direct rival and Real Madrid are now the frontrunner for his signature.
There is a feeling that United need a world-class striker and a backup forward, such is their lack of depth in that area, and Hojlund would fit the profile of a player who could initially work as an understudy with a view to the future.
Ten Hag has held multiple video calls with Atalanta striker Hojlund, who has been identified as an attainable target. The 20-year-old is a boyhood fan of the club and he's understood to be receptive to the idea of moving to Old Trafford.
Hojlund only moved to Italy from Austrian side Sturm Graz last year but he's already considered an exciting prospect. The youngster has contributed 10 goals and four assists for Alanata and his statistics beyond that are interesting.
Although Alvarez is three years older, there have been comparisons made between himself and Hojlund, given they could both be back-up strikers in Manchester next season, and the latter holds his own on key metrics.
It's important to factor in the difference between the Serie A and Premier League in the analysis, but Hojlund has attempted almost double the dribbles per 90 of Alvarez, someone who is excellent on the ball, this season.
He's also averaged 1.14 shots on target per 90, which is marginally superior to Alvarez again (1.09). The City striker would likely record even higher on his metrics if playing in the Italian toplight but Hojlund's underlying numbers are promising.
Hojlund is also a pacy striker, who can stretch defensive backlines, and he could be the perfect foil to someone like Kane.
There are obviously areas that Hojlund must improve, like his defensive work and his passing, but he's just 20 years old and he remains the unfinished article, which striker coach Benni McCarthy could relish helping at Carrington.
There has been talk of Atalanta wanting £50million for Hojlund and that would be absurd, but if football director John Murtough can negotiate a fee in the region of £25m, then a deal for the young striker this summer seems logical.
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