EXCLUSIVE: Rasmus Hojlund was Erik ten Hag’s fifth-choice striker

Steve Kay

Updated: 1 Aug 2023 19:52 BST
3 min read

Rasmus Hojlund, Atalanta, Man Utd — © ProShots

Rasmus Hojlund was actually Erik ten Hag’s fifth-choice striker for Manchester United.

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We have learned that the Dutchman preferred Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane, Dusan Vlahovic and Ivan Toney before he was banned, but ended up going for Hojlund.

We have also learned that Ten Hag is under a lot of pressure for this transfer to work for United, with the club spending £72million on the youngster who is set to undergo a medical ahead of a move from Atalanta.

The club’s funds have been limited this summer owing to the ongoing takeover saga and Ten Hag has opted to bring Hojlund in as other deals were not there to be done.

It is thought that the 20-year-old refused to speak with Paris Saint-Germain due to his desire to join Man Utd over any other choice.

The French giants entered the race for a brief period following Kylian Mbappe’s refusal to sign a new deal at the Parc des Princes, but Hojlund decided to join Man Utd over the reigning Ligue 1 champions.

The Denmark international is set to be unveiled as an official player for the Manchester club in the coming days after the Premier League outfit reached an agreement with Atalanta.

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Hojlund only wanted Man Utd, says Romano

Speaking to the United Stand, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Hojlund did not negotiate personal terms with PSG as he wanted to join Erik ten Hag’s side.

The Dane is expected to become Man Utd’s first-choice number nine, something that appealed greatly to him as a boyhood Red Devils supporter.

Back in January, he told Danish news outlet Ekstra Blader: “Now that you ask, I won't hide the fact that I'm a huge Manchester United fan. So personally, it'd be one of the biggest things for me. Of course that doesn't mean that I'd turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point."