Manchester United striker target Rasmus Hojlund has impressed Erik ten Hag for two reasons

Manchester City set the standard in the Premier League and Manchester United are striving to reach their level with Erik ten Hag.

The gulf in quality between the two sides was emphasised by the team's respective options on the bench in the FA Cup final last weekend. Ten Hag would love a striker of Julian Alvarez's quality, for example, but he's been stuck with Wout Weghorst.

Weghorst was a stop-gap loan signing in January and the club has no intention to make a permanent offer for him, unsurprisingly.

Alvarez is a back-up striker at the Etihad and yet he's got the talent to be first-choice a few miles away at Old Trafford.

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United have struggled for goals this season and Ten Hag has made signing a world-class centre-forward his priority this summer, with Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, Rasmus Hojlund, Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos all being followed.

Ten Hag has been described as 'obsessed' with signing Kane, but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy does not want to sell his club's record all-time scorer to a direct rival and Real Madrid are now the frontrunner for his signature.

There is a feeling that United need a world-class striker and a backup forward, such is their lack of depth in that area, and Hojlund would fit the profile of a player who could initially work as an understudy with a view to the future.

Ten Hag has held multiple video calls with Atalanta striker Hojlund, who has been identified as an attainable target. The 20-year-old is a boyhood fan of the club and he's understood to be receptive to the idea of moving to Old Trafford.

Hojlund only moved to Italy from Austrian side Sturm Graz last year but he's already considered an