Manchester United have been trying to reinforce their attack after the club scored the lowest goals among the top eight teams in the English top-flight last season.
Rasmus Hojlund emerged as the club’s top-scorer in his debut season but was clearly overplayed and he struggled at times, and manager Erik ten Hag knows the Dane needs support moving forward.
The club have zeroed in on Joshua Zirkzee of Bologna as their preferred option and are in the midst of negotiating the final fee while personal terms and agent fees have already been agreed.
The Dutchman brings a different skill-set as compared to the Danish international with the Serie A star adept at threading passes through and dropping deep to link up play.
ST hunt
He had scored 12 goals last season in Italy and registered seven assists, not a bad season by any means, but he will be required to add more goals to his game if he is to become a success in the Premier League.
If The Sun are to be believed, the Red Devils have a Plan B in mind – Zirkzee’s compatriot Brian Brobbey of Ajax, who is a long-term target for the manager.
The 22-year-old scored 22 times for the Dutch side last term and is attracting interest from United as well as fierce rivals Arsenal with the player also keen on a new challenge. The Netherlands international is expected to cost in the region of £30 million.
“MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal are set for a £30 million war over Brian Brobbey. Red Devils’ boss Erik ten Hag knows the Ajax striker, 22, from his time at the Dutch club and is eyeing a summer move.
“Gunners’ chief Mikel Arteta also feels Brobbey can provide an alternative option to injury-prone Gabriel Jesus in attack.
Brobbey links re-emerge
“A host of Italian clubs are keen on the ex-RB Leipzig man, too. But it is understood the player has his heart set on a Premier League switch.”
The Ajax star, in the past, had pointed out that he favours a future move to United but whether INEOS will agree to sign yet another Eredivisie player remains to be seen.
They had plans of moving away from Ten Hag’s policy of signing players he had worked with in the past in favour of signing homegrown stars.
Another point of contention will be Brobbey’s price and whether the 20-time English league champions can afford to buy another striker when they might need more than one defender and midfielder.
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