Erik ten Hag earmarks double-striker swoop for Man United’s summer window

Manchester United could sign two strikers in the summer transfer window in order to bolster Erik ten Hag’s lacklustre attacking unit.

United have shown defensive improvements under the Dutchman this campaign. The Reds have kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League and have 28 across all competitions.

However, their firepower at the other end of the pitch has been primarily questioned. Marcus Rashford has scored 29 goals this term but only Bruno Fernandes has more than 10 goals for the club throughout the season.

Antony, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial have scored a combined 22 goals between them, but only 14 of those came in the Premier League. On-loan striker Wout Weghorst is yet to score a goal in league football for the club since his January move.

United’s latest victory edged them ever-so-closer to Champions League qualification for 2023/24, yet their final third woes continued to show as they limped over the line in a 1-0 away win against Bournemouth, with midfielder Casemiro scoring the only goal of the game.

“The only criticism is we didn’t kill off the game, we had to produce that second goal but that’s the way this team are. It is not easy scoring goals,” Ten Hag told BBC’s Match of the Day following the result.

It comes to the surprise of few that the United boss is looking to bolster his forward line in the upcoming transfer window, however, the possibility of signing two strikers is an exciting prospect for a team that has scored only 52 times in the league this season.

Information from The Times says that The Reds could be signing two strikers in the summer, with Ten Hag looking to bring in an elite option, as well as an up-and-coming forward.

Harry Kane is known as the preferred option to elevate United’s attack, with The Times adding that Rasmus Hojlund has joined the club’s shortlist as an option to join alongside a player of the Englishman’s calibre.

Hojlund, 20, joined Italian club Atalanta last summer from SK Sturm Graz and has impressed. The Denmark international has scored eight goals in the Serie A this season in 30 appearances – however, he has started just 18 of those games.

The young forward has attracted the attention of several top clubs, who have been monitoring his progress. The aforementioned report added that he could be available for around £40 million in the upcoming transfer window.

During the March international break, Hojlund would’ve sparked further interest when he scored a hattrick on his full debut for Denmark in a 3-1 win against Finland. He also went on to score twice in the following game as his nation fell to a 3-2 defeat against Kazakhstan.

The Dane has previously confessed his support for Manchester United in an interview earlier this year.

“Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan,” he admitted. “So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me, but of course that doesn’t mean that I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point.”