Manchester United are "very interested" in Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund, and talks between the two clubs have been "positive", but a gap in valuation still proves to be the biggest obstacle to this deal, claims Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Is Rasmus Hojlund joining Manchester United this summer?
It has been a great transfer window for Manchester United so far this summer.
It all started a bit slow as the news around the club was dominated by constant takeover talk, but as time progressed, the three-time European champions have some significant improvements to their first team.
The first name through the door at Old Trafford was Chelsea academy star and England international Mason Mount, who should slot right into Erik ten Hag's midfield next season and help to give that area of the team some much-needed depth.
Following him was Andre Onana, who, after the departure of David de Gea, was an essential signing to get over the line, and considering the hype around him and how important he has been for Inter Milan, the £47m fee seems relatively reasonable.
With two areas of the team already sorted, attention swiftly turned to the front line, specifically striker, where Marcus Rashford has had to fill in frequently over the years.
The forward most heavily linked to the Red Devils in recent weeks has been Danish prospect Hojlund, who has attracted the attention of the wider footballing world after just one season for the Bergamo side.
According to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano United will submit an official bid for the Dane this week. However, they hold much of the negotiating power with four years left to run on the 20-year-old's £10,500-a-week contract.
The length of his contract, United's desire to sign him and the general hype around the player could all make any deal prohibitively expensive, as the Daily Mail have reported that the Italian side want £86m for their man and considered United's initial idea of £45m 'derogatory'.
What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Rasmus Hojlund and Manchester United?
Sheth was clear that despite initial talks between the sides being positive, a gap in valuation still exists, and the Red Devils are yet to formalise their interest in the Danish striker.
However, this will likely change very soon given the club's desire to have their transfer business sorted by their opening Premier League game on August 14th.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "They're very interested in Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. They see him as one for the future but probably for now as well, given Manchester United's budgetary constraints.
"There's still a big gap in valuation, although there have been positive talks with Atalanta. But there is no agreement on price and no formal bid as yet.
"We expect Manchester United to formalise that interest after those positive talks sooner rather than later, simply because we've only got about three weeks until the season starts.
"I think Manchester United want to get everything sorted before their opening game against Wolves."
How good is Rasmus Hojlund?
It might seem rather outlandish for a club to demand so much money for one of their players after they have played only a single season in a top-five league, but Hojlund, who has been hailed as a "monster", does appear to have all the raw ingredients to make a genuinely great striker in the future.
Last season, for example, he started just 20 games for Atlanta in Serie A but still managed to score nine goals and provide two assists, which, with his 1836 minutes of league action, gives him a goal involvement every 166 minutes or one every 1.85 games, per WhoScored.
His underlying numbers help to show that his impressive performances are not just fortunate either, and if he was given an entire season of starts, he could score even more.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 6 foot 3 "monster" sits in the top 1% for progressive passes received, the top 7% for touches in the oppositions penalty area, the top 16% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 17% for successful take-ons, the top 25% for progressive carries, and the top 28% for non-penalty goals and shot-creating actions, all per 90.
He has certainly made his mark at Atalanta and impressed club captain Rafael Toloi, who said:
"Hojlund is a great talent, physically strong and with great speed. He has everything he needs to be great and is working with the right coach and with the right team."
While the price may be exorbitant, if United can get this deal over the line, it seems well worth taking the short-term pain for what Hojlund could do for the club over the next decade or more.