Manchester United enjoyed a successful 2022/23 campaign and achieved their goal of securing Champions League football under Erik Ten Hag, which will make them an appealing destination for prospective transfer targets this summer.
The Dutchman also led his side to Carabao Cup glory against Newcastle United alongside an FA Cup final, where the Red Devils were edged out by Manchester City.
Now, the focus for Manchester United will be trying to bring in high-profile stars and Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is said to have agreed terms over a move to Old Trafford.
One other target who has been linked with a move to the Premier League giants is Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund, who could form a deadly duo with Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho in attack next season.
What's the latest news on Rasmus Hojlund and what could he bring to Old Trafford?
According to talkSPORT, Manchester United are planning to accelerate their pursuit of Hojlund this summer as Ten Hag looks to sign two forward players in the off-season.
The report states that he may cost around £40 million and he has earned comparisons to Manchester City star Erling Haaland due to his goalscoring exploits and ability in the air.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has stated his belief that Hojlund and Garnacho could gel to great effect at Manchester United, saying: "If United sign him, they've got the chance to fully reveal his capabilities under Ten Hag and unleash a frontline that is fit for a bright future. If you've got Garnacho on one wing and you've got Hojlund coming into the middle, you're starting to make a dream partnership here for the future."
Atalanta manager heaped praise on Hojlund earlier this year and compared him to Haaland, as per The Sun, claiming: "The characteristics are very similar, especially in accelerations. He is a very fast player, he does the 100 metres in less than 11 seconds. For his height, he has a low centre of gravity and an incredible stride frequency. I'm convinced he will have a great career. Technically, he always shows different and better things."
It is easy to see why Hojlund, who has been hailed as "better than Vlahovic", has heralded such acclaim in recent times, given that he registered 16 goals and seven assists combined in 2022/23 with Atalanta and former club Sturm Graz, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored notes that he has also handled his step up to Serie A football rather well and averaged around 1.7 shots per match this term, demonstrating his ability to be a constant goal threat, something that he could continue to develop under the stewardship of Ten Hag at Manchester United.
FBRef shows that he ranks in the first percentile compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive passes received, recording an impressive figure of 11 per 90 minutes.
Now, imagine the £9k per week star, was to join Manchester United and play alongside rising star Garnacho, who recorded ten goal contributions in total encompassing all competitions in 2022/23; five goals and five assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Unsurprisingly, Garnacho has earned praise from some high places, including Manchester United icon Paul Scholes, who complemented his capabilities as an attacking force back in January, as cited by The Manchester Evening News, stating: “But this lad [Garnacho] is direct, he doesn’t care, there’s no fear in a young player. He wants to score goals and he wants to make goals and he’s more than capable of doing it.”
Both players are seen as promising talents for the future and Manchester United boss Ten Hag could unearth a dynamic pairing in attack for future years by signing Hojlund this summer.