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Hojlund, 20, is on the verge of becoming United’s third signing of a busy summer after finally making a breakthrough in talks with the Serie A side.
The Red Devils will pay a fixed fee of £64m plus £8m in add-ons and the Denmark international was excluded from Atalanta’s friendly against Bournemouth on Saturday ahead of his move to Old Trafford, having already agreed a five-year deal.
Despite the move now appearing to be something of a formality, Ten Hag declined to answer questions about the forward on Sunday until all the paperwork has been completed.
Asked what he likes about Hojlund, Ten Hag smiled and replied: ‘As you said, I can’t talk about players who are not under contract at Manchester United.
‘So if you want to ask the question, first we have to finish something and then after we can talk, you can set the question.’
Probed further on whether he could offer some insight into the striker, Ten Hag replied: ‘I can’t talk about this player in this moment because I’m a long time in football and I know first we need signings.
‘We have to keep calm and let the professionals do their work.’
In other transfer news, axed skipper Maguire was the subject of a £20m bid from West Ham – which was rejected – and the 29-year-old is believed to want to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford despite effectively being the fifth-choice centre-back.
Asked if Maguire’s situation risks becoming a distraction, he replied: ‘I don’t see it like that, but you can have that impression, that’s your choice.
‘But not last year and not this year [was it a distraction]. We are building, we are building a project, we want to win trophies, so we have to invest in the way of play, we have to invest in the team. Our focus is not on one player.’
On whether the protracted sale of the club is a disruption, Ten Hag added: ‘I focus on my job and that is to improve the team. I have to do my work to sign the players, and I have to work on the way of play, and that is my area of focus and that is what I have done.
‘So I don’t get distracted from any strategic review. There are others in the club, they will deal with it [the sale] and we have a good information line. They are sharing the information so I know where I am and I can focus on my job.’
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