MANCHESTER United have faced a blow in their pursuit of Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund.
The Daily Mail report that Atalanta will demand a club record sale if they were to lose the striker this summer.
United had turned to Hojlund as a cheaper alternative after they deemed Tottenham’s valuation of over £100million for Harry Kane to be too much.
However The Daily Mail report that after a meeting between Atalanta bosses the club will demand £86m for the 20-year-old Dane.
Hojlund has four years remaining on his Atalanta contract having signed for the club last summer from Austrian side SK Sturm Graz.
The striker is in high demand this summer after a breakout season for Atalanta that saw him bag 11 goals and six assists in 36 games.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
His form for his national side particularly caught the eye with the forward scoring a hat-trick against Finland on his international debut.
He followed that up with two goals in Denmark’s subsequent European Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan.
Chelsea are also monitoring Hojlund with both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romelu Lukaku expected to leave the club.
The high fee being demanded for Hojlund could see United turn their attentions elsewhere.
Most read in Football
BETTING SPECIAL – BEST NO DEPOSIT CASINO OFFERS
Erik Ten Hag favours signing a proven striker which led to the club’s initial interest in Spurs’ Kane.
United have explored younger and cheaper alternatives to Kane with Hojlund falling into this category.
The Red Devils’ were hoping that the forward would have been on the market for a fee of £45m.
There is still hope that given Ten Hag and Hojlund share the same agent, United could land the forward for a lower fee.
One alternative could be Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo-Muani who United have been keeping tabs on.
It is thought that Frankfurt would demand £68.7m for the 24-year-old French World Cup star.
The Daily Mail also report that United have tracked Brighton’s Evan Ferguson although the long term contract he signed with the Seagulls in April could prove to be a stumbling block.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
