Rasmus Hojlund Scout Report: Who is the Manchester United linked striker?

Manchester United are reportedly set to ramp up their pursuit of Rasmus Hojlund as the Reds seek to solve their problems at no.9. It’s been suggested that Erik ten Hag ideally wants to sign an experienced striker, with Harry Kane reportedly the priority target, as well as a younger striker. Atalanta’s Hojlund could be the answer to the latter.

Date of Birth: 04/02/2003 (20)
Position: Centre-Forward
Strong Foot: Left
Height: 1.91 m (6ft 2in)

Who is Rasmus Hojlund?

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Rasmus Hojlund is a 20-year-old centre-forward currently playing in Serie A for Atalanta. The Danish forward joined Atalanta in August 2022 from Austrian club Sturm Graz. In his debut season for Atalanta, Højlund found the back of the net nine times in all competitions which is a fairly impressive first season in one of Europe’s top 5 leagues. The highlight of his season though came playing for his country. Against Finland, Hojlund scored a hat-trick for Denmark in a 3-1 win. The Dane then followed that up with a brace against Kazakhstan.

Following an impressive debut season at Atalanta, Hojlund has attracted serious interest from Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window. According to Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic, Manchester United have held detailed talks over potential deals for Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani. Out of the two, Hojlund is seen as the likelier player to join at this stage. Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News also says that Ten Hag has held multiple video calls with Hojlund.

Strengths

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Hojlund is an extremely talented player and will likely develop into one of the best strikers in the world in the coming years. The Danish frontman is rapid and is also an outstanding dribbler. Hojlund is an extremely intelligent player and his movement off the ball, especially in the penalty box, is brilliant. His link-up play is also decent, and has shown to be a keen creator. In Serie A this season, Hojlund created 1.2 chances per 90 which slightly edges Anthony Martial’s 1.1 albeit in the Premier League.

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The Atalanta forward is also very good at carrying the ball on the counterattack. In Serie A this season, he has averaged 1.95 progressive carries per 90. He uses his blistering pace and dribbling ability well on the counter and is a serious threat in those situations. His first touch and ball control are both superb too. Because of his skillset, it’s not a huge surprise that he’s also good in wide areas.

Weaknesses

As he is only 20 years old, there are obviously areas in his games he needs to improve. While he isn’t necessarily bad aerially, standing at 6’’2 tall, it’s certainly an area of his game he could strengthen. He has everything needed to become a dominant force in the air and that would make him a huge threat from attacking set-pieces. His hold-up play could also use some improvement and in general, he needs to become a little bit stronger.

Where would Rasmus Hojlund fit in at Manchester United?

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As good as Hojlund is, he is still very young and potentially doesn’t have enough experience to be United’s main centre-forward right now. However, if United could sign Harry Kane or an experienced striker in addition to Hojlund which is apparently the plan, that would be ideal. That would take the pressure of Hojlund and it would give him the time he needs to develop in the coming years.

Hojlund won’t be cheap this summer, however, United would be smart to sign him now for a fairly reasonable price instead of waiting 3-5 years when his price could potentially double. He is an extremely exciting young prospect and is destined to become one of the world’s best attackers.

Verdict

It seems that United have laid the groundwork for a deal to sign Hojlund having reportedly had contact with the player as well as his current club Atalanta. It is unclear exactly how much he’d cost, but based on reports, United could potentially do a deal for a fee in the region of £40m. While this is a substantial sum of money for a relatively inexperienced player, it would be a very worthwhile investment. Højlund is an immense talent and his value will likely double in the coming years.

Over the last few years, United have signed a lot of strikers for the short-term like Odion Ighalo, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, with Hojlund, United have the opportunity to sign a player who could lead their attack for a decade.