Berbatov singles out the Man Utd player who has 'worried' him this season

20 December 2023 , 19:07

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Berbatov singles out the Man Utd player who has 'worried' him this season

Rasmus Hojlund's continued goal drought in the Premier League is "worrying", according to former Manchester United marksman Dimitar Berbatov.

The young Dane was the club's most expensive summer arrival, joining from Atalanta in a deal worth £72million. Hojlund's potential had been clear during his short stint in Italy but he's yet to find the net in the English top flight despite playing 13 times for his new side - 10 as a starter.

Hojlund missed a major chance in the draw at Liverpool last time out with his finishing cited as one of the areas he can improve. His goal output in Europe proves he is more than capable of leading the line but Berbatov admits the longer he fires blanks domestically the more it becomes an issue.

He told Betfair: "Of course, his goal drought in the Premier League is worrying. It will be playing on his mind but he needs to keep going and goals will come. At the moment Rasmus needs support from everyone around the club because you can see he's trying hard to score.

"Some people are saying that United should look to bring in another striker in January to take some pressure off him. Doing that can go both ways. In what way can another striker help him? And what will the other striker's role be? Is he playing ahead of Hojlund? It would get complicated."

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Hojlund has remained a regular, owing perhaps to a lack of credible alternatives in Ten Hag's squad. The majority of his forwards prefer to play from wider positions leaving the Dane to lead the line solo. United knew of the risks of buying potential over a proven performer but the manager was confident in his purchase.

Rasmus Hojlund is yet to break his duck in the Premier League (Paul Currie/REX/Shutterstock)

Despite their failures in Europe, Ten Hag cited Hojlund's goal tally, which stood at five, as one of the positives of the campaign. Berbatov sees the manager's faith as key in the striker hitting the heights.

"It's about the manager continuing to trust Hojlund and that's something I see Ten Hag doing. Rasmus also needs to continue trusting himself that the goals will come," said the Bulgarian.

"The major worry is that if it continues for too long, it could damage his confidence. It's a tough situation so I hope he can start scoring as soon as possible. United have to stick by him because he's a young lad and it would be a pity to give up on him so early in his United career."

Samuel Meade