Manchester United have had a €35m (£30m) bid knocked back for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, according to the Corriere Dello Sport.

The Italian newspaper reports that the offer was short of the Serie A club’s €40m (£34m) to €45m (£38.7m) valuation of the 20-year-old.

Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised Hojlund back in January, claiming that the forward has “extraordinary” potential, having come on leaps and bounds during his first season with the Serie A club. It is, therefore, not surprising that the player is in such high demand.

In addition to United, the Danish international has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Juventus recently, but it seems as if the Red Devils are the team who have made the first move.

Hojlund is keen on a transfer to United

In an interview with the Danish media at the start of this year, Hojlund admitted that he was a supporter of the Manchester club growing up:

“Now that you ask, I won’t hide the fact that I’m a huge Manchester United fan. So personally, it’d be one of the biggest things for me [moving to Old Trafford]. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I’d turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point.”

With Hojlund clearly very keen on joining the Red Devils, it gives them a huge advantage in negotiations for the striker.

Transfer budget limitations

While United seem keen on signing Hojlund, the fact that they only offered £30m in their opening bid does indicate that the club are working within strict financial constraints.

Reports suggest that Erik ten Hag’s transfer budget, before player sales, is £120m, and with £55m already spent on Chelsea’s Mason Mount, there is very little room for manoeuvre, especially if they are trying to recruit a new goalkeeper too. We shall see if United return with another offer for Hojlund.