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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is hellbent on improving his attacking options after seeing his side notch the lowest goals among teams who have qualified for Europe in the Premier League.
Apart from Marcus Rashford, no other forward has managed to hit double figures in terms of goals and that needs to be changed considering United’s foray into the Champions League next season.
Most reports have pointed at Tottenham record scorer Harry Kane as the Dutch manager’s preferred option but the club are aware of the difficulties related to dealing with Daniel Levy.
Alternatives are also being looked at with Rasmus Hojlund‘s name gaining in momentum while the likes of Moussa Diaby and Randal Kolo Muani have also been mentioned.
United’s complicated striker search
Another interesting name that has been thrown into the ring by Mundo Deportivo is that of Joao Felix who is due to return to Atletico Madrid after an unsuccessful loan spell with Chelsea.
“From Old Trafford the Portuguese has always been looked upon with good eyes. In fact, in the last winter market, the negotiations for him to leave on loan there did not come to fruition due to small differences between the two clubs.
“Now, Ten Hag could fulfill his initial wish to have Joao Félix on the squad for next season. He either transferred or even transferred because Manchester United has long shown that they have the financial muscle to face this type of operation. His agent, Jorge Mendes, is already moving,” the report stated.
Fans will remember that the Red Devils were very close to agreeing a January loan deal with the Madrid-side only for the loan fee demand to scupper the move in the end.
The Portuguese has been linked with a move to the 20-time English league champions since his Benfica days and his versatility and stats prove why he is such an in-demand star despite the poor season by his own high standards.
In total, he managed to score nine goals and chip in with three assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for both Atletico and the Blues.
For Chelsea alone, he managed four goals in 14 starts while playing up front, on the wings as well as in the No 10 position.
Felix deal could be in the pipeline
His positional versatility means he can plug multiple holes in the squad and allow the former Ajax manager to rotate a bit more than he has done this season.
The Rojiblancos would ideally like to move him on in the summer and multiple clubs like Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan could pounce for him.
He is currently valued at €50million as per Transfermarkt and his contract with the La Liga side expires in 2027 and they will be eyeing twice that amount to part ways with the Portugal international.
From an United point of view, a loan deal could make sense if the fee is within reason this time around due to the limited transfer budget. He also scored against United recently and impressed with his general all-round play.
Ten Hag has already spoken about wanting an experienced striker and a young player who can learn and Hojlund and Felix could be a deadly combo.
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