Manchester United's search for a striker has been well-documented and will only continue to heat up as we edge closer to the summer transfer window.
Erik ten Hag has made it a priority to add extra firepower to his front line, having lost patience with Anthony Martial and grown overly reliant on the goalscoring of wide man Marcus Rashford.
There would appear to be two leading candidates for the role in the shape of elite options Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, but a player of their quality comes with a club-record price-tag.
Read next: Rangnick names change he's seen in Sabitzer since United move
United have still never spent more than £89million on a player, and will most likely need to exceed that this summer if they are to sign a world-class forward that can rival the likes of Erling Haaland in the years to come.
In an ideal world, United would not only sign a top striker at the end of the season, but they would also sign one who is capable of developing into an elite striker for the best part of the decade as well.
It is easier said than done, though. Given the huge expectations and pressure at a club of their size, United cannot always take the risk on unproven signings and often have to have a reactionary transfer approach rather than a proactive one.
Then there is the overall development of a player as well, given that being thrown into the deep end at United is not necessarily the wisest move for their own career trajectory, with their focus on finding a club where they can take the next step before moving to a truly elite club.
Haaland and Bellingham are both fine examples of that. They are extremely talented players who are arguably the greatest youngsters in their respective positions, but they in part owe that to gradual career progression aided by time at Borussia Dortmund, and very well might not have developed as quickly had they both moved to the Premier League instead.
It's for those reasons that United still need to sign an elite option this summer, but if possible, it would be wise to take a risk on a lesser-known talent who can aide them in the long-term without the immediate need to succeed.
They might have the perfect candidate in Rasmus Højlund.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a successful debut season at Italian side Atalanta, netting 14 goals and five assists in 33 appearances following his €17 million move from Sturm Graz a year ago.
Højlund grabbed further headlines last week when he netted a hat-trick in his first start for Denmark in their European Championship qualifier against Finland and another two in the shock defeat to Kazakhstan on Sunday.
The obvious concern is that he is still very raw and would represent a sizeable risk for any team to take a gamble on if they were to convince Atalanta to sell him this summer.
They would want to make a profit on the decent fee they spent on him last summer, and could expect to almost double it with a deal in the region of €30million.
It perhaps means that United would find it difficult to sanction such a bid for a player who has just seven league goals this season, though the risk is that if he builds upon his recent performances, then the asking price and interest in him will only continue to rise.
There are already reports that Napoli could look to sign Højlund this summer should they sell Osimhen, and that is perhaps the most sensible next step in his promising career.
There is one slight advantage though. He is a self-proclaimed United fan.
"Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan," he said earlier this year.
"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."
He has already drawn comparisons as the 'new' Haaland for his physicality and sheer pace, though at this moment in time he lacks the same consistent clinical finishing and scoring instinct as the City marksman.
Højlund has surprised many with his recent development, having never received much fanfare in his homeland, something highlighted by the fact he wasn't taken to the World Cup last year.
“It’s great to be able to show that, in eight months, I’ve gone from being a player that no one trusted 100 per cent to be surrounded by some of the best Danish players in history and being part of the group,” he stated in September when he made his international debut.
His hat-trick against Finland was the biggest hint yet that Denmark might have made a mistake in not selecting him, and the youngster will only be further focused on proving his doubters wrong.
Højlund stood out during his first years in the Copenhagen academy, but was limited to a rotational role when he made his senior breakthrough.
Even when given the chance, he struggled to make an impact, and despite netting five goals in the Europa Conference League, he would never score a league goal for Copenhagen.
Growing frustrated at the lack of playing time he was afforded, he left for Austrian side Sturm Graz for just €2 million in January 2022.
It was a move that changed everything. Højlund scored four goals in his first three league appearances for his new side, and would net 12 goals in his half-a-season there before Atalanta pounced to sign him and continue his whirlwind rise.
All eyes are on the youngster heading into the summer transfer window, with his recent exploits raising the possibility of his third transfer in the space of a year-and-a-half.
His path might not cross with the club he supported as a child at this moment in time, but if he keeps up his recent rise, then it might not be totally out of the question.
United will want a striker to rival Haaland; they might be best signing the 'new' one.
READ NEXT:
