With just a few days to go until the start of the summer transfer window, all eyes are on Manchester United and who they will turn to in their pursuit of a striker.
The Reds, who lost 2-1 to rivals Manchester City in last weekend's FA Cup final at Wembley, are desperate to strengthen their attacking options this summer with the addition of a world-class striker. For all of the progress that the club made this season, they lacked a focal point at the top end of the pitch that they could consistently rely on.
With the exception of Marcus Rashford, who scored 30 goals in all competitions, nobody else within the squad stepped up to the plate on a regular basis in front of goal. It was a major problem that became more and more apparent as the season developed.
But in an attempt to rectify that problem, United manager Erik ten Hag has made signing a striker his number one priority this summer. Furthermore, as reported by the Manchester Evening News last month, money is believed to have been set aside for a potential club-record investment for a new marksman.
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As has been well-documented in recent months, Ten Hag has identified Tottenham Hotspur and England ace Harry Kane as his leading target. The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best strikers in the world over the last few years and has just a year remaining on his Spurs contract.
However, United are operating under the assumption that the Londoners will not be prepared to sell Kane this summer, meaning they are keeping their options open. They are tracking several other candidates, one of whom is Atalanta ace Rasmus Hojlund, who has impressed in his debut season at the Italian outfit.
The Danish striker joined Atalanta from Austrian club Sturm Graz last August and enjoyed a steady maiden season in Italy, scoring 10 goals and grabbing four assists in 34 appearances. He also scored a hat-trick on his first senior start for Denmark in March, helping them beat Finland 3-1, before netting a brace in a 3-2 defeat to Kazakhstan three days later.
His recent exploits have caught Ten Hag's attention, so much so that the Dutchman has, as revealed by the Manchester Evening News last week, held several video calls with the 20-year-old. He has been identified as an attainable target for the Reds and could be viewed as the best alternative to Kane.
Hojlund, despite his inexperience, is widely considered one of the most highly-rated strikers in Europe and Ten Hag has taken a real liking to him. Though finances, of course, will dictate United's hopes of bringing the youngster to Old Trafford, he has already placed on record that he is a United supporter and has hinted that he would be tempted by the prospect of joining the club.
"Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan," said Hojlund, speaking earlier this season. "So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me, but of course that doesn't mean that I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point."
With that statement in mind, you could almost guarantee that Hojlund would be extra motivated to join United and be determined to thrive for the club that he considers as his own. Character and mentality are key traits that Ten Hag has looked for in all of his signings since taking over at Old Trafford last year, meaning Hojlund could be a good fit.
The striker, however, must prove that he has the capability to spearhead United's forward line at such a young age. He only turned 20 in February and has just five senior caps at international level.
Ten Hag has earned the right to be trusted, though. Almost all of his signings have made a positive impact at United so far, but the addition of a big-money striker cannot be one that he gets wrong.
Nevertheless, whatever happens with United's striker search over the coming weeks, Hojlund has seemingly made it clear that he would be tempted by a move to Old Trafford.
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