Ten Hag ‘rejected’ prolific 63-goal Premier League monster in favour of signing struggling Hojlund

As if Erik ten Hag didn’t already have enough cons piling up against him this season, his transfer choices are sure to raise the eyebrows of the Manchester United faithful.

According to a new report from Mail Sport, the Dutchman ‘rejected’ the chance to sign prolific frontman Ollie Watkins in 2023, instead ‘demanding’ that the board pursue Rasmus Hojlund, who eventually signed on a £72 million package deal from Atalanta.

Of course, a large part of his reasoning would’ve been that Hojlund is seven years younger than his Aston Villa counterpart. He could realistically lead United’s line for the next 10 years and, provided his career progresses in an upward trajectory, could eventually be worth in excess of £100m.

Yet, having a truly clinical, world-class centre-forward to deploy each week is something the club has craved for several years now. Watkins, while older, is a Premier League-proven forward who would slot straight into almost any side’s starting 11. 

Why United missed the boat with Watkins

The 15-capped England international boasts a remarkable record of 63 PL goals in five seasons with Villa, also notching a noteworthy 28 assists in that time.

He played a vital role in the Midlands outfit defying the odds and claiming a Champions League spot last season – their first-ever time in the competition since it rebranded in 1992. Watkins scored 19 times and assisted a further 13 goals across the term.

Still, you can but hope that, given his age, Hojlund has it in him to eventually develop such renowned abilities.