Manchester United are set to end their long search for a new No.9, Erik ten Hag has confirmed
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United are pushing ahead in their pursuit of a striker this summer according to Erik ten Hag, as the Dutchman also responds to rumours linking his side with Kylian Mbappe.
He said: "We never speak about players who are under contract in other clubs."
Elsewhere, though, the Dutchman has suggested Manchester United are making progress in their search for a new striker, after finally securing the signing of Andre Onana from Inter Milan.
"We make progress," Ten Hag said when asked about United's pursuit of a striker. "But you know how it works - when we have him, we will tell you directly.
"The only thing I can say is we do everything that's in our power to get that done. If it was up to me, yeah, as soon as possible. The earlier the better because we have to integrate him in the team, the way of play.
Mbappe has been put up for sale by PSG (Image credit: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
"In an ideal situation, he was already here but you do not always get ideal situations as a manager and you have to deal with the situation."
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Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund has been heavily linked in recent weeks, though Atalanta's reported £86m valuation is believed to be far too high for what Manchester United are willing to pay. Negotiations are currently ongoing, with a resolution expected in the coming weeks for the 20-year-old.
Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta is heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford (Image credit: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
Manchester United are currently on a pre-season tour in USA, with Ten Hag speaking in San Diego. Jadon Sancho started their last game as a false nine, with the club's only senior striker, Anthony Martial, currently recovering from an injury.
Ten Hag clearly wants the Frenchman fit for the 2023/24 campaign, but suggested he can't rely on Martial for the entire season.
"When you have a player in your squad you have to expect he is available," he said. "Players have to take responsibility. If not, I have to deal with the situation.
"Anthony Martial is a brilliant football player. He will help us score goals. And there are other areas, like pressing and combinations. He's a great player. We hope he is fit and he stays fit."
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Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
