(Football news) Manchester United’s long-running striker search is coming to a close. It will put a stop to Old Trafford’s long-running hunt for a No. 9, with Erik ten Hag needing to be creative last season and this preseason. United signed the 20-year-old striker for a cost of £60 million upfront, with a potential £12 million in add-ons, which is both challenging and feasible.
The Dane is a highly regarded prospect who has seen his career skyrocket. Last year at this time, he was playing for SK Sturm Graz in Austria’s First Division before being signed by Atalanta for about £17 million.
In just one year, the Serie A club has made a 4x profit on the striker, a testament to Hojlund’s quality, Atalanta’s scouting, and United’s belief in him. With an official announcement on the way, Hojlund might make his debut in one of United’s two back-to-back friendly matches.
As with the Wrexham and Real Madrid games, two completely different squads are scheduled to take the field for these games, so it will be intriguing to see which team Hojlund is a member of.
With Anthony Martial recovering from injury, Marcus Rashford able to play through the middle, and Jadon Sancho’s False 9 experiment also succeeding to some extent, the addition of Hojlund will provide Ten Hag with several alternatives at a position where he had almost none last season.
The club prioritised the acquisition of a new striker throughout the summer transfer window, and they are now on track to accomplish that goal ahead of their season opener against Wolves on August 14. If such a mission had not been completed, United would have been compelled to answer unwelcome questions.
Despite the fact that much of the attention around Hojlund’s anticipated arrival is focused on the amount of money United is investing in such an inexperienced striker, manager Erik ten Hag has earned the right to make the final decision. Since taking over, he has taken a few risks in terms of recruiting, and the majority of them have paid off.
While Hojlund appears to be bolstering the club at one end of the pitch, Andre Onana has already done so at the other. United recruited the Inter Milan custodian just over a fortnight ago, after David de Gea departed the club after his contract expired. With his superb ball-playing ability, Onana is ready to revolutionise United’s style of play. He will also be part of United’s new-look spine, alongside Hojlund.
Though both Onana and Hojlund will need time to adjust to their new surroundings, they are important signings for United. That is why, speaking in June, former Reds captain Gary Neville insisted that the club bring in a custodian and a striker during the current transfer window.
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