Man Utd learn next Erling Haaland's asking price

Stuart Telford

• 16 Apr 2023 10:29 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United have been scouting Atalanta striker Rasmus Hjolund, dubbed 'the next Erling Haaland', but the young Dane won't come cheap.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer tried to sign Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg in 2020 before he joined Borussia Dortmund, and now United fans are having to endure the big Norwegian smashing all kinds of goalscoring record across town with Manchester City.

Haaland scored a brace as City beat Leicester 3-1 on Saturday to pull onto 32 goals for the season. Three more - that he has eight more games to find - and he will overtake the single season record of 34 goals Andy Cole and Alan Shearer scored in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

READ: Premier League top scorers 2022/23: Erling Haaland stretches huge lead

City snapped Haaland up for what now looks like a snip at €60 million. United have since shifted their focus to Atalanta youngster Hjolund, but he will set them back a similar amount according to reports in Italy.

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) February 14, 2023

"His base asking price should be €65-70 million," report Bergamo newspaper Corriere Della Serra. "It is difficult to find a player born in 2003 who scores like this.

"What impresses observers the most is his aggression and speed, which he has also shown for Denmark in European qualifiers. In short, Atalanta don't want to let him go. It is certain that €60m won’t be enough to see him leave Bergamo."

READ: Who is Rasmus Hojlund? The Atalanta wonderkid Man Utd and Real Madrid want

Hojlund, 20, has scored seven goals and assisted three more this season, his goal-involvements coming in at a rate well inside one every two games, and there is a feeling he would score significantly more for a team that create more chances than Atalanta.

Hojlund is valued at €22.7m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, but with a contract which runs until summer 2027 and with Real Madrid also credited with an interest, Atalanta are optimistic of achieving a record fee for the Dane.