Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta has been tabbed as Manchester United’s first choice to end their center-forward shortage, and there has recently been a big development in the club’s pursuit of the talented Dane.
What’s new with Hojlund and Manchester United?
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that United are preparing an offer for Hojlund, with the Bergamo-based club expected to seek roughly €70 million (£60 million) for the 20-year-old striker. A sum appears to have been agreed upon with Inter Milan for the signing of Andre Onana.
The reputable insider stated on Twitter that Manchester United was getting ready to make their opening offer for Rasmus Hjlund. I hereby fully agree to the personal terms told. He desires United. After initial negotiations, Atalanta informed United they didn’t want the three players offered in the deal. Around €65–70 million is the asking price. Official bid is the next step.
While Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain is also interested in signing the kid, fellow journalist David Ornstein claims that personal terms have been reached with the former Sturm Graz star.
Rasmus Hojlund has scored how many goals?
The 6’3″ marksman is undoubtedly generating a lot of talk right now. He has recently drawn comparisons to fellow Scandinavian sensation Erling Haaland and has been labelled “scary quick” by journalist Sacha Pisani for his lightning-quick counterattack.
Despite all the anticipation, there must also be some apprehension about United shelling out a sizable sum of money for a player who, despite six caps for Denmark, has only scored 27 club goals while playing for Copenhagen, Sturm Graz, and Atalanta. Haaland scored 52 goals in one season last year at Manchester City.
After scoring eleven goals in all competitions for the Serie A team, the highly regarded speedster didn’t exactly light up the world for his present team last season. This may be why the Red Devils were rumoured to have baulked at his initial asking price of €100 million (£86 million).
Erik ten Hag and company paid that much to acquire Antony from Ajax last summer, possibly out of concern that Hojlund might turn out to be yet another costly risk for the Old Trafford team, as the Brazilian has done thus far.
The 23-year-old trickster had a challenging first season in English football despite having past experience working under Ten Hag at Amsterdam, scoring only four goals and contributing only two assists in 25 Premier League appearances.
Fans and experts alike probably expected more from the mercurial winger for a player with such a significant transfer fee, and the emphasis is now on Antony to truly make his mark in his second season at the club.
In the short term, at least, investing so heavily in another relatively unproven talent like Hojlund may not be the solution for United’s pursuit of glory, as they undoubtedly want to put an end to their ten-year title drought.
That’s not to say that the quick left-footer—and Antony—can’t improve after going through a period of acclimatisation at the Theatre of Dreams, but if Ten Hag wants instant success, it’s unclear whether Hojlund is the right person to spearhead that effort.
