Real Madrid have stolen a march on Arsenal by sending scouts to watch Rasmus Hojlund in action - but the Gunners remain in the race to sign the blossoming Atalanta frontman.
Hojlund, 20, has been on fire in Serie A since the turn of the year, scoring five goals in his last eight appearances while keeping seasoned strikers Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel out of the starting XI. The 6'3" frontman is finally showing why Atalanta paid $17million (£15m) to sign him from Austrian club Sturm Graz after a slow start in Italy.
He only scored one goal for Atalanta before the World Cup break and missed out on a spot in Denmark's squad for the Qatar tournament, but his formidable form in 2023 is earning him plenty of admiring glances. Many elite European clubs are monitoring Hojlund with a view to a summer transfer, chief among which are Los Blancos and Arsenal.
According to Italian outlet la Repubblica, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is a fan of Hojlund and sent 'observers' to Rome to watch him play against Lazio earlier in February. The Santiago Bernabeu officials will have liked what they saw from the former Copenhagen prospect, as he showed good movement to tap in from a cross in Atalanta's 2-0 victory at Stadio Olimpico.
Real Madrid are said to want a deputy for Karim Benzema, the prolific Ballon d'Or holder, as the 35-year-old enters the twilight years of his career and increasingly struggles with injuries. Arsenal are also keen on Hojlund as they target a fresh injection of quality in attack this summer.
Eddie Nketiah has shouldered the burden of the No.9 role since the World Cup, where Gabriel Jesus suffered an injury while representing Brazil. The pair have scored 14 goals between them this season and could face fresh competition from Folarin Balogun when he returns from his prolific loan spell at Reims.
The 21-year-old is the joint top-scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 15 goals in 23 games, and Mikel Arteta has confirmed he will hold talks with the youngster this summer. Balogun might not settle for being second or third-choice centre-forward at Emirates Stadium, in which case a new striker would be required to bolster the Gunners' squad.
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Whatever happens during the Premier League title race finale, Arteta is likely to receive significant backing from Arsenal chiefs to ensure the fantastic season the club are enjoying is not a flash in the pan. Hojlund could prove to be a shrewd addition due to his relative youth - he turned 20 in early February - and impressive form for Atalanta.
But Real Madrid could prove a difficult opportunity to turn down, especially as club supremo Perez is used to having his own way when it comes to transfers. Los Blancos and Arsenal are sure to continue keeping tabs on Hojlund during the run-in and if he maintains his eye-catching form, there could be a seismic tussle for his services this summer.
