Ten Hag orders Man Utd to sign incredible goal-per-game striker who’ll relegate Hojlund to the bench

Erik ten Hag has personally requested Manchester United sign a lethal striker who’s in the midst of a contract wrangle with his current club, according to reports.

The Red Devils splashed the cash in the striker position last summer when paying Atalanta £72m (including add-ons) to sign Rasmus Hojlund.

The Dane struggled to get to grips with Premier League football initially, though has found his feet since the turn of the year.

Indeed, Hojlund didn’t notch his first league goal for Man Utd until Boxing Day. He’s since scored in each of United’s four subsequent league fixtures and has provided a pair of assists too.

Aged just 21, ups and down are inevitable in the early stages of Hojlund’s career. However, according to a remarkable report out of Spain (as cited by the BBC), Ten Hag wants more of a sure thing next season.

It’s stated the Dutch manager has personally requested Man Utd sign Inter Milan hotshot, Lautaro Martinez.

The Argentine, 26, is operating at just below a goal-per-game in Serie A this season with 19 goals bagged in 21 appearances.

Martinez has tormented Italian defences this term and his exploits in the final third have helped Inter amass a sizeable seven-point lead atop the table. Inter also have a game in hand over second-placed Juventus.

Per the report, Martinez has emerged as one of United’s ‘big goals’ for the upcoming summer window. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s partial takeover will have long since been ratified by then and United are expected to splash the cash to kick the new era off in style.

Signing a proven player of Martinez’s calibre would inevitably lead to Hojlund dropping to the bench.

However, all top clubs must possess excellent strength in depth and a Martinez-Hojlund one-two punch would ensure Premier League defences can never rest from first minute to last.

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Is Martinez coup actually viable?

The Argentine and Inter are currently entrenched in talks over signing a contract extension at the San Siro.

Talks have dragged on for many a month, though both parties have repeatedly stated they’re unconcerned and expect an agreement to be thrashed out when all is said and done.

Martinez’s current deal runs until the end of the 2025/26 season, meaning Inter would still have two years of wriggle room come the summer if the talks don’t result in an extension.

Nonetheless, the report suggest Inter could be tempted to cash in while Martinez’s value is at an all-time high if no new agreement is reached before the summer.

Inter can expect to fetch upwards of £80m if opening the door to their star striker’s sale.

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