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Juventus might just have thrown a spanner in the works of Manchester United’s transfer plans, with the arrival of Cristiano Giuntoli prompting a pursuit of Rasmus Hojlund.
Giuntoli looks set to become Juve’s new sporting director, with a switch from Serie A rivals Napoli all but confirmed.
And among his first acts has been to identifying a potential replacement for Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, who has attracted attention from a number of clubs in Europe.
Hojlund, a longstanding Man United target who was reported to have had discussions with Erik ten Hag over a switch to Old Trafford, has been mooted for just that role.
That is according to Gazetta dello Sport, who claim that Juventus will put Vlahovic up for sale in a bid to trim the squad’s expenditure – a necessary task give The Old Lady’s absence from the Champions League next season.
That news in itself may prick the ears of some United fans, given the Serb’s previous links to Man United.
Vlahovic reportedly takes home around £215,000-a-week in Turin, which is an expense Juventus could do without, particularly in light of his difficulties in recapturing his form for Fiorentina since his €81.6m move in January 2022.
He scored a fairly ordinary ten league goals last term, although it should perhaps be noted that injuries limited the forward to just 22 Serie A starts.
Powerful and in possession of a lethal left foot, the 23-year-old may yet recapture the performance levels that catapulted him to stardom, although reimbursing Juventus’ hefty outlay for the striker would certainly carry risks.
The targeting of Rasmus Hojlund is more immediately relevant to United, given The Red Devils’ strong links to the Dane in recent months.
While still very raw, the Atalanta starlet has plenty of potential and would be more of a developmental option who could flourish under Ten Hag. Not immediately coming in on a huge salary would also come with benefits for United.
Should Juventus manage to find a buyer willing to take a chance on Vlahovic, however, it would appear that Giuntoli will push to sign Hojlund, thus taking two viable striker option off the market for Man United.
In a summer in which that particular market is already thin, Ten Hag may be forced to get creative as he looks to retool his squad to challenge for major honours next season.
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