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Rasmus Hojlund is a wanted man in Italy.
The young Manchester United striker had a disastrous last campaign at Old Trafford, having seemingly regressed rather than progressed following a decent 16-goal first season under then manager, Erik ten Hag.
United are keen to find an upgrade and have made Hojlund available for sale, according to numerous reports.
As relayed here yesterday, the frontrunners for the 22 year old’s signature are Champions League finalists Inter Milan.
The Nerazzurri’s confidence of securing Hojlund on a loan with option to buy has grown considerably over the last 24 hours. The headline in today’s Gazzetta dello Sport (GDS) (paper edition, page 5) reads “it’s all about Hojlund”.
“The desired striker is Hojlund, it’s clear by now,” the outlet says, before going on to state that they have dropped interest in Canadian Jonathan David to prioritise the United man.
“The Danish player from Manchester United is the favourite, due to age, salary and also experience already accumulated in our championship,” GDS explains.
“Hojlund has already given his approval to the negotiation: we are not at the point of reaching an economic agreement with Inter, but he has made it known that the destination would be to his liking.”
In terms of discussions with United, the outlet says “Inter wants to close the deal on loan with the right to buy and think they have a good chance of succeeding.”
Their confidence has been boosted by the fact they see themselves as having a clear run at the Dane after Juventus “disappeared from the radar”.
Whatever Inter think, it is obvious that a loan with a buy option is the worst of both worlds for United. There is no guarantee of money in the bank, which is needed to fund a replacement for the player.
If Hojlund flops at Inter, he will be back at Old Trafford next summer with his stock further depreciated. If he is a huge success, Inter will be able to snap him up for around £30-£35 million with United powerless to command an auction.
It seems likely, therefore, that INEOS will be pushing for a straight sale, a loan with compulsory purchase, or at the very least, a dry loan. Another option may be a player exchange, with reports yesterday also suggesting defender Yann Bisseck could be involved.
With a strong desire on all three sides to make something happen, there may well be a formula found that can protect United while smoothing the way to a successful conclusion.
Featured image Ion Alcoba Beitia via Getty Images
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