Benni McCarthy worked at Old Trafford from July 2022 to June 2024
Three strikers Man Utd tried to sign instead of Rasmus Hojlund
Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy has named three big-name strikers the club tried to sign instead of Rasmus Hojlund.
McCarthy, who worked at Old Trafford from July 2022 to June 2024, insists that United considered moves for Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen and Randal Kolo Muani before paying £72m to recruit Hojlund in August 2023.
England captain Kane was strongly linked to United before he joined Bayern Munich from Tottenham in the summer of 2023 for an initial £82m.
United’s interest in Kolo Muani and Osimhen was also widely reported, with McCarthy confirming the Red Devils were indeed keen on all three players.
Kane No 1 target
‘In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane was our No.1 target,’ South African coach McCarthy, 47, told Ladbrokes at the launch of Gaffer Of All Accas.
‘Kane was the prime target, but obviously, the price tag was an issue. Because he would have been leaving Spurs for United, a few extra million pounds were added on to the price tag.
‘But for £100million, if you look at it now, you’d say that it would have been well worth it because he’s gone to Bayern and he’s still producing, he’s still scoring.
‘So you think we should have just bitten the bullet and got Harry Kane and then also tried to invest in Rasmus Hojlund.
‘That would have been the best thing for Rasmus if he had if he had someone like Harry Kane involved.
‘So, yeah, Harry Kane was Erik’s No. 1 target. Erik really wanted him. Kolo Muani was also very high on that list.
‘Victor Osimhen was also on that list. But I felt that if you’re going to want to spend that kind of money – £100million plus – then you want a complete package.
‘Harry Kane, for me, was the complete package. But unfortunately, the club didn’t see it that way.
‘They looked at it as Rasmus Hojlund, in the long run, would be a more prized asset than investing in both Rasmus and Harry Kane. So we stopped pursuing Kane, and we ended up getting just Rasmus.’
Victor Osimhen was on Man Utd’s transfer wishlist
Osimhen is currently on a season-long loan at Turkish side Galatasaray from Napoli after failing to secure a permanent move away from the Italian club.
Kolo Muani joined Paris Saint-Germain from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 – but moved to Juventus on loan in the recent January transfer window.
Hojlund, meanwhile, has produced 23 goals and three assists across 75 games for United to date since former boss Erik ten Hag signed him from Atalanta.
Rasmus Hojlund no signs of improving
Former United defender Paul Parker ripped into Hojlund last week, fearing the club’s No.9 isn’t showing any signs of progressing.
‘Rasmus Hojlund’s contribution to the team recently hasn’t been very good,’ Parker told Instant Casino.
‘I think it’s the worst it’s ever been – he just looks afraid to make mistakes and isn’t playing with any belief in his own ability.
‘He looks scared to touch the ball now because he’s worried about which way it’s going to go, and he’s not thinking about which way his passes are going before he gets it.
‘He’s clearly not in a very good place at this moment in time and I’m not sure how Ruben Amorim best works with it between now and the end of the season.
‘The striker position at the club has been an issue for a while now and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon.’
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