Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag explain in details why Man Utd switched to Rasmus Hojlund instead of Harry Kane
Manchester United have splashed out £72m to sign inexperienced 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, while fellow target Harry Kane is now set to join Bayern Munich.
Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United are “really happy” with the acquisition of Rasmus Hojlund as Harry Kane is set to move to Bayern Munich.
United have been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham star Kane before they were apparently left out of a bid for his services. Ten Hag is a huge admirer of the 30-year-old and has publicly praised the England captain but instead opted to clear a £72million move for 20-year-old Hojlund.
It now looks like Bayern could snag the signing of Kane in a deal worth around £100m up front, although the German club could end up shelling out a further £20m in potential offers. Pressed for his opinion on Kane’s transfer, Ten Hag told reporters on Friday: “First of all, we picked a striker and we’re really happy with our choice.” “[Kane] is a great striker, clearly a goalscorer and on top of that he has all the qualities and skills you expect from a striker. He’s definitely a failure for the Premier League.
Asked if United are ever in the running to sign the Spurs talisman, Ten Hag gave a chilling response, explaining the club are sticking to the same strategy they agreed on before the opening of the summer transfer window.
“We want to challenge the best and play with them,” he said. “I don’t think I should get into this discussion [about why United didn’t sign Kane] or have an opinion on it.”
“We are professional, the processes we carry out are very careful, we think about a lot of things, but in the end we make decisions, not overnight, we study every decision we make, we are satisfied with the team that we are now behind us.”
Bayern agreed a deal for Kane this week, only for Tottenham to demand changes to the deal which delayed the striker’s flight to Munich for a medical. There was evidence Spurs blocked his flight, but the club dismissed it.
Kane sat patiently at his home in London, waiting for both clubs to confirm that a final deal had been reached. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou spoke to the media on Friday afternoon and admitted a deal was done.
“From my perspective, it’s just a matter of understanding where we are and the information I have at the moment is that the deal is imminent,” he said. But as with all of these things, you give yourself some leeway. But if we go ahead today and prepare for Brentford, we will do it without Harry.”
Ten Hag will have to wait before seeking the services of his new striker as Hojlund is currently out with a back injury. The Denmark international will miss United’s opener against Wolves on Monday night and could face a lengthy layoff.
“As we said before, he had a little problem and is not at the level of our players at the moment,” added Ten Hag. “So we have to train him.
“It’s always hard to predict. We are confident and positive.”
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Breaking; Sofyan Amrabat deal in doubt as £30m deal for Maguire considered and replacements drafted
Manchester United face a battle to land Sofyan Amrabat as other top clubs across Europe have expressed an interest in signing the midfielder.
Top line
Atletico Madrid have emerged as a potential destination for Amrabat, with the Fiorentina star reportedly keen on working with the La Liga club’s manager Diego Simeone. Amrabat’s desire could compel United into exploring alternative options in the final period of the summer transfer window.
With just over three weeks left until the transfer deadline, the race for Amrabat’s signature is heating up. It was previously rumoured that United had almost secured a deal to sign the Morocco international.
However, a period of inactivity has given other clubs the advantage to enter the race. Juventus are said to be offering Amrabat a chance to remain in Serie A, while Atletico represent an attractive option for the player.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Amrabat has communicated his approval to Atletico, expresing his desire to join the club. The question now is whether Atletico are willing to meet Fiorentina’s asking price for the 26-year-old.
While some sources suggest that an offer of £26 million would be sufficient, others claim that Fiorentina are holding out for £34 million. Barcelona have also shown interest in Amrabat in the past.
Liverpool made an approach for him earlier in the summer, but the player’s preference at the time was a move to Old Trafford. It remains to be seen whether United will act on their interest by making a bid before September 1.
United boss Erik ten Hag remains eager to further strengthen his squad, which has been boosted by the arrivals of striker Rasmus Hojlund, goalkeeper Andre Onana and midfielder Mason Mount. The club are also said to be interested in Jean-Clair Todibo to bolster their defence if Harry Maguire leaves.
Maguire exit confirmed
West Ham United have agreed a £30 million deal to sign the England international. Maguire was stripped of the captaincy ahead of the new season, with Bruno Fernandes taking on the armband
Maguire was booed by his own fans at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin at the weekend after his latest clanger.
The Hammers and the Red Devil reached an agreement over a reported £30million fee, with personal terms still to be agreed. It means man Utd will take huge loss on the player who cost them £80million from Leicester back in August 2019, a world record for a defender.
What happens next
United are now pursuing a host of replacements to fill the position in defence. As well as Todibo, Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi are all on United’s radar.
And the club are also reportedly considering a one-year deal for Jonny Evans. After initially being permitted to return and train at Carrington this summer after his contract expired at Leicester, Evans was handed a temporary deal to play in pre-season after impressing Ten Hag.
But it’s Todibo, 23, who is still considered the favourite to move to Manchester after United made contact with Nice to discuss his availability. The French club are open to selling the star, with Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi admitting the club were prepared for his exit this summer, saying: “If all the parties can find themselves in a transfer, it can be done.”
Todibo began his career with Toulouse before joining Barcelona, but failed to hold down a place with the Spanish giants and spent time on loan at Schalke, Benfica and then Nice, who then signed him permanently in June 2021.
Manchester United are fast approaching the start of their Premier League campaign against crisis-hit Wolves on Monday night.
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Transfer news : Caicedo makes choice clear, Liverpool still on Caicedo transfer talks, Chelsea keen on Romeo Lavia , Man Utd eye spur move, more on Mbappe and Mason Greenwood
It is now clear that Arsenal are on the verge of announcing the signing of Brentford goalkeeper David Raya while Chelsea have submitted a bid to sign Liverpool target Romeo Lavia.
The summer transfer window’s longest running saga is approaching a conclusion with Bayern Munich about closing in on Harry Kane.
Also a bid has finally been accepted and it is now on the player to decide on whether he wants to leave north London with the Germans now confident they can land their man. On the other side of the capital Chelsea might miss out on Moises Caicedo with Liverpool now in the race.
Chelsea have turned their attention to Romeo Lavia, who is a significantly a much cheaper alternative. Manchester United meanwhile continue to consider notable exits with Harry Maguire edging towards a move to West Ham.
Man Utd eye surprise goal keeper move
According to the Herald, Manchester United have made a surprise approach for Rangers goalkeeper Robby McCrorie.
To be continued…