Just like with everything else at Manchester United football club, the official announcement of player acquisition moves along at an aging tortoise pace. So it is with Rasmus Hojlund, just like it has been with most of the other new players that have arrived before him.
The 20-year-old Atalanta striker passed his medical yesterday, and signed his contract today, according to reports.
Rasmus Højlund, back to Carrington for the final part of medical tests after main part completed on Tuesday; then contract will be signed ??? #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Lwy4Z7FnUa
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 2, 2023
Embedded above you can see the tweet from Fabrizio Romano, the world’s foremost authority on football transfer news.
Hojlund moves over on a deal that will see United pay the Serie A club £64 million ($82 million) plus another £8m ($10m) for the Danish international.
Some have gone so far as to refer to this young No.9 as the “Danish Erling Haaland,” but that hype could be pretty overblown.
As of now, the stats just don’t seem to back that up. But Rasmus Hojlund does give United a true out and out striker, the one specific position that they needed to upgrade at, the most of all, this summer.
Plus he allows Marcus Rashford to drop back to the position where he slots in best- on the left side of the attack.
As Stretty News writes:
“Erik ten Hag finally has his man. A centre-forward he can rely on in terms of fitness, so it should be easy to mark Hojlund down as an upgrade over Anthony Martial.”
Rasmus Hojlund joins Andre Onana and Mason Mount as new players acquired by the club this summer.
This is a big move in terms of the Ten Hag rebuild. It shows that the Dutchman has autonomy over his roster and in the transfer market, and that is critical for his makeover of the side.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.