Manchester United will cool their interest in Rasmus Højlund if Atalanta demand more than £60m for the centre-forward, with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani also a player of firm interest for Erik ten Hag.
The United manager is intent on signing a forward and is targeting the 20-year-old Højlund. Although the Denmark international has played only a single season in Serie A and is unproven in the Premier League, Atalanta are thought to want a minimum of £70m.
United are not minded to meet this price. Kolo Muani, a 24-year-old France striker, is an alternative, with Ten Hag rating him as an equivalent talent to Højlund. Kolo Muani has played one season in the Bundesliga after two full seasons in Ligue 1 with Nantes.
Another forward on Ten Hag’s radar is Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus, though the 22-year-old Ghana international operates predominately as a wide forward.
Anthony Martial is expected to start training with United this week as he continues his recovery from a torn hamstring. United flew to San Diego on Sunday for the second leg of their US summer tour after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Arsenal in their opening game at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Ten Hag is hopeful Martial will soon be available again after an injury he sustained in late May. In the first half against Arsenal Ten Hag fielded Jadon Sancho as a false 9 and it is understood he wants to experiment with the forward, who usually operates in a wide berth, in the position to see whether he can be a serious option there.
