Manchester United are said to have agreed a personal agreement with Atalanta BC striker Rasmus Hojlund.
After acquiring midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana earlier this summer, the Red Devils are now looking for a new center-forward before the new season begins.
Erik ten Hag recently revealed that Manchester United have’made progress’ in talks to sign a new striker this summer, and the Dutchman expects that a deal may be done as soon as possible.
A slew of names have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, including Denmark international Hojlund, who appears to be United’s top striker target.
The Red Devils have made little headway in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, or Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, while a potential move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is seen financially out of reach.
Instead, a summer move for the 20-year-old Hojlund is high on United’s priority list, and the club is said to have held negotiations with Atalanta about his availability.
Disputes over a transfer fee appear to have reached a stumbling block, with the Red Devils unwilling to pay more than £60 million for Hojlund, who is presently valued at over £85 million by Atalanta.
Nonetheless, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, an agreement on personal terms has been struck between Manchester United and Hojlund’s entourage.
Romano claims that the Dane has agreed to a five-year contract extension through the summer of 2028, with an option to extend for an extra year.
Man United is thought to be planning to make a formal bid this week, but they will not consider discussions in the €90m to €100m range.
The Red Devils have already spent over £100 million to recruit Mount and Onana, and they are currently working on a restricted budget to avoid breaking Financial Fair Play laws.
However, generating revenue from player sales could assist raise their transfer budget, with one rumor saying that the club is prepared to let four players leave this summer.
Hojlund has only recently emerged as one of Europe’s most promising offensive prospects, with 12 goals in 21 appearances for Austrian side Sturm Graz during a six-month stint in 2022 convincing Atalanta to sign him for about £15 million last summer.
His stock has now risen after scoring 10 goals in 34 appearances for Atalanta in his debut season in 2022-23, including eight Serie A goals in the second half of the season.
The former Copenhagen teenager, who has previously been linked with PSG, is signed to the Italian club until June 2027.
