Manchester United are optimistic an agreement to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta can be reached.
However, with Paris Saint-Germain also in the running to sign the highly-rated Denmark international, as well as Atalanta holding out for in excess of £60 million (€70 million), there are no guarantees Erik Ten Hag will land his top striking target.
And according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, failure to make headway in their efforts to sign Hojlund could lead to the Dutchman turning his attention to one of two backup alternatives.
Ornstein’s latest report claims Ten Hag has Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus on his shortlist with the latter also a target for Chelsea and Arsenal (Independent).
With two top Premier League clubs already vying for Kudus’ signature, United will feel competition for the African poses a threat to their chances of signing him.
However, with Chelsea unable to offer European football next season and Arsenal needing to offload before they can make any more signings, United’s chances of beating their rivals actually look quite good.
Kolo Muani is also expected to leave his current club this season with several top European sides, including Bayern Munich, rumoured to be interested.