Erik ten Hag wants to make one of Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United stars the ‘cornerstone’ of his attacking line-up at Bayer Leverkusen, according to reports.
The 55-year-old Dutchman is now preparing for his first season in charge at Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen after his return to management in 2025.
Erik ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United manager last October after a shocking start to the 2024-25 Premier League season at Old Trafford.
The former Ajax and United manager waited on the sidelines after his Old Trafford exit in 2024 before he was approached to become the head coach of Leverkusen.
Ten Hag was appointed to his current position at Leverkusen in May after Xabi Alonso left the club and succeeded Carlo Ancelotti at La Liga side Real Madrid.
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Former Ajax and Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag delivers a Bayer Leverkusen press conference in Leverkusen, Germany, in 2025.
Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images
Erik ten Hag is keen to bring Man Utd and Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund to Bayer Leverkusen
Rasmus Hojlund’s future at Manchester United has been shrouded in uncertainty at Old Trafford and the Denmark striker has attracted a lot of interest this summer.
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The 22-year-old arrived at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag’s reign in 2023 and the Bayer Leverkusen head coach now wants to link up with Rasmus Hojlund again.
According to CaughtOffside, Ten Hag is believed to be ‘pushing hard for a reunion’ with the United striker, who is one of the ‘most sought-after’ strikers in Europe.
It is believed that the ex-United boss is a ‘firm believer’ in the long-term potential of Hojlund after he signed him for the Red Devils from Serie A side Atalanta for £72m.
The news outlet added that Ten Hag has identified Hojlund as the ‘cornerstone’ of his attacking set-up at Leverkusen, but he faces an uphill challenge in landing him.
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Former Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has a major battle in signing Rasmus Hojlund for Bayer Leverkusen amid fierce interest
Rasmus Hojlund has been part of the pre-season tour this summer and the United striker has hinted at his desire to remain at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.
The ex-Atalanta attacker is under contract until 2028, but Hojlund struggled to impress in his second full season with United in the 2024-25 campaign.
CaughtOffside has claimed that Ten Hag and Leverkusen are only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ for the clubs in Europe that are interested in signing United star Hojlund.
The publication suggested that there has been ‘strong interest’ in Serie A alone for the Denmark striker, with AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and Napoli all linked.
However, Leverkusen face rival competition from within the Bundesliga and Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt are ‘monitoring’ Hojlund’s situation.