Erik ten Hag warned of interest in Man Utd transfer target likened to Haaland
Manchester United have been told that transfer target Rasmus Hojlund is “on the wishlist of every big club in Europe” ahead of the window opening this week.
United are on the lookout for a striker this summer, with Erik ten Hag desperate to strengthen his side when the window opens on Wednesday. They have been keeping tabs on Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, Goncalo Ramos, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Atalanta hotshot Hojlund.
Hojlund has caught the eye by contributing 10 goals and four assists in 34 appearances for Atalanta since arriving from Sturm Graz last summer. The 20-year-old has been compared with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland due to his height, playing style and having began his career in Austria.
United are not the only interested side, with Real Madrid and Napoli also scouting Hojlund this season. The interest comes as no surprise to Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill, who is preparing his side to face Hojlund’s Denmark in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday.
“Hojlund’s a player who, at his age, must be on the wishlist of every big club in Europe,” O’Neill said. “We’re going to have to deal with Hojlund on the night, and we have to be cute in how we set up.
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“He is something that has come back into the game, he’s a proper No9 – he’s physical, he plays on the shoulder and has the power and strength to play in behind. He always wants to threaten in behind. He does like that space so we have to make sure that we give him as little an opportunity to get into those spaces.
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“As well as that, he has the ability to take chances when they come his way. We’ve seen Haaland score 50-odd goals for Manchester City this season which is a phenomenal amount, I don’t think you see that in Serie A to the same extent, the numbers are never quite as high in Italy.
“Hojlund is playing in a league that is more difficult for strikers to operate in, it’s maybe not as open as the Premier League can be at times.”
Hojlund only joined Atalanta from Sturm Graz last August, with the Italian side paying €17million (£14.5m) for his services. He has hit the ground running in Serie A and could be on the move again already.
Napoli are monitoring him as a potential replacement for Osimhen, who is another of United’s potential targets this summer. But Hojlund might be particularly keen to move to United, given he is a fan of the club.
Speaking back in January, he said: “Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan. So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me, but of course, that doesn’t mean that I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point.”
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