In a vast £72 million deal, Manchester United and Serie A team Atalanta agreed to let Denmark’s young star striker Rasmus Hojlund play for them. The 20-year-old player is very talented and will move to Old Trafford for a starting fee of £64m and possible add-ons of up to £8m. Erik Ten Hag, the boss of United, was impressed by Hojlund’s play at Atalanta in the 2022–2023 season when he scored 10 goals in 34 games.
The young striker’s contract with United is for five years, with an option for an extra year. This shows how committed the club is to developing his ability over time. Ten Hag’s efforts to get more offensive help have paid off this summer. Holland is the third big player that Manchester United has signed. The Danish forward comes after the club bought midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea for £55 million and goalie Andre Onana from Inter Milan for £47.2 million.
Manchester United sign £72m Rasmus Hojlund
The club has already spent at least £166.2 million this summer and could spend up to £180 million. Manchester United signed Hojlund because of how well he played, which made him Ten Hag’s first choice for the striker role. This means they will no longer try to get Harry Kane from Tottenham. It was thought too expensive and hard to do. Even though the deal with Atalanta is not yet done, it is expected to be easy to agree on personal terms.
Ten Hag wanted to have the striker on board before the season started. So getting Hojlund at the right time gave them plenty of time to get to know each other and get ready. Rasmus Hojlund’s rise to fame happened very quickly. The Danish striker started his professional career at Copenhagen and then did well at Sturm Graz.
His ability to score goals and potential quickly caught the attention of top European teams. At Atalanta, he showed off his skills even more, which impressed people at home and abroad. When he first played for the Danish national team in 2022, he scored six goals in six games as they qualified for Euro 2024.
As the move gets closer, Hojlund will likely join his new team in time for Manchester United’s last preseason games against Lens and Athletic Bilbao. The big teams in the Premier League will start the 2023-2024 season on August 14 at Old Trafford against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
