Man Utd want to sign Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund but they are struggling to come to an agreement with the Serie A side.
If Manchester United asked for a breakdown of Atalanta’s eye-watering €100million valuation of Rasmus Hojlund they would probably find two taxes baked into that fee. Old Trafford officials have long suspected there is a ‘United tax’ added on to values when they enquire about players, but on this occasion, there is a striker tax in there as well.
In a market that is lacking enough high-quality No. 9s,Unitedare one of several elite teams desperate to sign a striker. The clubs in possession of those potentially on the market know they can put sky-high asking prices on players at the moment and bide their time, which is what Atalanta are doing withHojlund.
Then there is the issue of the United tax, most easily illustrated by being quoted £28million for a player last summer when the bids in for him so far were at £15million. There is a combination of issues at play here, including the idea of United’s vast wealth thɾօυɢҺ their commercial revenue, but also the fact they have been a soft touch in the market in recent years.
That is beginning to change. John Murtough drove a hard Ԁєɑł with Chelsea forMason Mount, eventually reaching a compromise of £55million, which was £15million less than the initial asking price and the same amount above the opening bid. Murtough held his nerve to sign the midfielder and United did briefly move away from Mount, showing Chelsea they wouldn’t be fleeced.
They wanted a compromise in that Ԁєɑł and that word is rapidly becoming key to the club’s transfer window. United sources have used the same phrase indiscussions with Inter over goalkeeper Andre Onana. The need for a new No. 1 has been laid bare with David de Gea’s departure, but they won’t be held to ransom. Talks have been arduous but there is a determination to do a Ԁєɑł on United’s terms.
That looks like it might come off with Onana, but when it comes to signing the striker that Erik ten Hag also wants, it is going to be more difficult. The selling clubs hold all the power here.
Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen had initially dominated discussions for clubs on the hunt for a new centre-forward, but the latter looks immovable from Atalanta and United have already walked away from Kane. Bayern Munich are still pushing but there is a significant gap between themselves and Tottenham over a fee.
If Bayern switch their attentions from Kane then they could look at Hojlund, 20, as well, while Paris St-Germain also want a No. 9 this summer. Other clubs could yet show their hand in the search for strikers.
The problem is that beyond Osimhen and Kane, the rest of the market is loaded with risk and little value. After years of graduating towards striker-less systems, playing with a No. 9 is now back on trєɴԀ, but it feels like the game is yet to catch up. Fewer strikers have come thɾօυɢҺ academy football due to the shift in playing style.
That’s what makes Hojlund and others so valuable to their current clubs. United are also looking at Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani, with the 24-year scoring 15 goals in 32 games in the Bundesliga last season, but as a French international with a good record in Germany, he is also an obvious target for either PSG or Bayern.
After that, Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos is a possibility, with the 22-year-old scoring 19 goals in 30 Primeira Liga games for Benfica last season, but this just proves that options are thin on the ground, which is why the power is in the hands of the selling clubs at the moment.
If one striker moves then maybe there will be a domino effect, which could benefit United, but they are desperate for a striker, with Cristiano Ronaldo having left, Wout Weghorst flopped and Anthony Martal’s fitness record getting worse, but bringing one in without overpaying this summer is going to be challenging.
Atalanta have shown their hand by rєjєƈτing the idea of players being included in the Ԁєɑł. They want the money, now it’s up to United as to how far they are willing to push. This is one transfer they might have to accept getting taxed on.
