Man Utd get Hojlund transfer encouragement from Atalanta boss

Robin Bairner

• 17 Jul 2023 18:40 BST
• 3 min read

Atalanta head coach Giam Piero Gasperini has given Manchester United cause for encouragement over the prospect of a transfer for Rasmus Hojlund.

The striker has been dubbed the ‘next Erling Haaland’, and with United very much in the market for a new No.9, the Denmark international star is considered to be a player currently close to the front of the queue.

Man Utd have been labouring to get transfers done this summer because of the stalled takeover process, but they have been given the gift of time by Atalanta, with Gasperini refusing to put on a deadline on a possible sale of the player.

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Reported by Italy24, he said: “Rasmus Hojlund? Even if we fix a date, say 15 August, the transfer market isn’t over. If an irresistible offer arrives, the club, the player, will decide later.

“Do we have a deadline? I would ideally put 31 July but realistically there is no possibility of putting it - even Hojlund was like this last year, everything is random.”

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Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag had feared he might not have any money to spend at one stage this summer, but he has been handed a transfer kitty of just £120 million, much of which has already gone on the likes of Mason Mount, who signed from Chelsea, and Andre Onana, who is poised to sign from Inter Milan.

As such, United’s only likely route to any more major signings is first to sell players. The Red Devils, though, are struggling to get their fringe players out the door, causing any new deals to stall.

Atalanta, for example, have set an asking price of €70 million for Hojlund, which is a figure Man Utd will have to make in sales if they are to make a transfer a reality.