Man Utd to battle Arsenal and Real Madrid over Rasmus Hojlund

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 25 Feb 2023 10:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have entered the race to sign Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund, who has been tipped to become the next Erling Haaland, according to reports from Denmark.

Hojlund’s size, pace and power has caught the eye in Serie A since signing for Atalanta for €17.2 million last summer, scoring six goals in 19 outings for the Bergamo side.

The forward joined the club from Sturm Graz and has seen his stock rise so quickly that the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid – two clubs looking for a young centre forward – have both been linked with the forward.

PROFILE: Who is Rasmus Hojlund? The Atalanta wonderkid followed by Man Utd and Real Madrid

Interest has also come from Serie A, where Juventus, Milan and Napoli are keeping tabs on a player who only turned 20 at the beginning of February.

According to information from Tipsbladet, meanwhile, Man Utd have emerged as another option.

Although United are watching the player, it is stressed that any transfer remains a long way off. It is noted, however, that there is interest there.

WATCH: 100m in less than 11 seconds! Rasmus Hojlund shows he is the 'new Haaland'

Why Hojlund fits Man Utd

Clearly, Erik ten Hag’s side are on the lookout for a new striker this summer following the November departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. This may have freed up Marcus Rashford, but the No.9 area is one that is clearly lacking depth.

Wout Weghorst has struggled for form since arriving at the club, despite providing a hard-working outlet in attack, and it is expected that his brief loan from Burnley will be curtailed in the summer.

Anthony Martial, meanwhile, is a player who could be offloaded in the summer due to his constant injury problems.

Uncertainty over Man Utd’s ownership in the summer does leave a question mark over how much money there will be to spend, but FootballTransfers understands that this might only impact blockbuster deals.

Hojlund, who is under contract at Atalanta until 2027, only has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €16m, and though that might be inflated by good performance and a bidding war, this type of transfer is unlikely to be impacted by the takeover.