Manchester United could be set to acquire another Scandinavian striker in the form of Rasmus Hojlund, who will surely seek to follow in the footsteps of a former Old Trafford great.
Having been linked for the bulk of the summer, the latest to come out of this saga is an updated price tag. The Daily Mail suggested that Atalanta will demand a fee of around €100m (£86m), which whilst mouth-watering is still lower than what Tottenham Hotspur wanted for Harry Kane.
The England captain was expected to fetch a £100m fee, and as such Erik ten Hag has cooled his interest in the 29-year-old. He will look elsewhere, and that search could land on this young finisher.
Transfer insider Dean Jones even suggested that it might not be such a bad move, and he told Football FanCast: “I mean Solskjær was just such a good fit for Man United in terms of he had all the ability and none of the ego that you needed for a player that was coming into a strike force of such a high level.
“So they would love a player like Hojlund who could have that Solskjær effect on this team, but also not throw their toys out of the pram were they left on the bench.”
Although the free-scoring Kane would likely be atop everyone’s list, his age profile would make this a deal for the present rather than the future.
So often this club have prioritised instant success over long-term growth, and it has left them light years away from their rivals. For once they must show some foresight to invest in youth and admit that silverware might have to take a back seat in pursuit of the creation of a dynasty.
Should Hojlund join and develop like he very well can, Ten Hag could secure his perfect number nine for the next decade.
After all, the 20-year-old is coming off the back of a term where he scored 16 goals and assisted a further seven in all competitions.
This is a far cry from the 32 that Kane notched or the double figures he has hit every year in the league since 2014, but turning 30 next month, his presence at the top of the game has a time limit.
Meanwhile, the Denmark international has only recently been branded a “monster in the making” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, suggesting he is far from his final form despite already tearing up Italian football.
Should he have that same lethal finishing touch as Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who recorded 176 goal contributions in 366 games for the Manchester club and won nine major honours, then it would be an investment worth making.
After all, his tireless work rate, proficiency in front of goal and patency for a one-touch strike all emphasise these comparisons.
