Manchester United are buying Rasmus Hojlund based on potential - Is it another poor decision in the transfer market?

Danish striker joins the likes of Sancho and Anthony as recent Man United transfers

Potential. That is the only word that can be used to describe what Manchester United have purchased for £72 million. The Red Devils agreed a deal with Serie A’s Atalanta for striker Rasmus Hojlund over the weekend, a 20-year-old with just 114 senior appearances under his belt. Hojlund is the sixth-most expensive player in United history behind Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Antony, Harry Maguire, and Jadon Sancho.  

Atalanta will receive a fantastic return on their £14.76m investment in the Danish striker. The Bergamo club signed Hojlund just 12 months ago from Austria’s Sturm Graz. Hojlund scored 12 goals in 21 matches for Sturm Graz as a teenager, turning heads for those paying attention to the Bundesliga. 

In Bergamo, taking a step up in competition, Hojlund bagged 10 goals and added four assists in 34 matches in all competitions. It was a good return for a 20-year-old player and Hojlund finished second in goals behind leading scorer Ademola Lookman (15). Hojlund had nine Serie A goals and an xG of 10.29. His two assists were better than the 1.90 xA. He averaged 2.63 shots per match.  

Some fans may question why Manchester United are paying so much money for a player that has played just 114 senior matches. But goalscoring is sought-after by clubs around the world. Goals win games and finding a player to put away chances is vital to winning silverware. There aren’t many players capable of scoring 10 to 20 goals a season, but Hojlund could be one of them. Hojlund showed plenty of potential in one season at Atalanta, and it is potential that Manchester United are paying for. 

How does Rasmus Hojlund compare to Man United’s goalscorers? 

Manchester United scored 58 goals in the Premier League last season. It was the seventh-best return in the competition, as Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton, Tottenham, and Newcastle all scored more goals. Marcus Rashford’s 17 league goals led United in scoring, but no other player scored more than eight goals in the competition.  

Rashford went on to score 30 goals in all competitions. Bruno Fernandes added 14 goals in all competitions. They were the only two United players to score in double digits during the campaign. The Red Devils’ struggles in the final third are part of the reason £72m are being spent to acquire Hojlund. 

At 20 years old, Hojlund could be a Manchester United player for years to come. The Red Devils are attempting to sign a young striker that could be playing at Old Trafford for years to come. Signing players to consistently score goals has been a struggle for United.  

Since 2014-15, Manchester United have had a different leading goalscorer in each campaign: 

• Anthony Martial 17 – 2015-16 

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic 28 – 2016-17 

• Romelu Lukaku 27 – 2017-18 

• Paul Pogba 16 – 2018-19 

• Anthony Martial 16 – 2019-20 

• Bruno Fernandes 28 – 2020-21 

• Cristiano Ronaldo 24 – 2021-22 

• Marcus Rashford 30 – 2022-23 

Rashford led the team in scoring in just one of those seasons. Therefore, questions should be asked about whether the forward can do it again in the coming campaign. 

 

Hojlund is far from a sure thing at Old Trafford. The club hasn’t done well in recent seasons when it comes to adding goalscorers. The likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho arrived at Old Trafford in consecutive summers but neither has become the goalscorer the club would have hoped for. 

• Antony – 8 goals, 3 assists, 44 appearances 

• Jadon Sancho – 12 goals, 6 assists, 79 appearances 

• Edinson Cavani – 19 goals, 7 assists, 59 appearances 

• Daniel James – 9 goals, 9 assists, 74 appearances 

Although James wasn’t signed to be a goalscorer, he still had plenty of chances to contribute.  

Can Man United get the best of the Rasmus Hojlund transfer? 

Hojlund isn’t the first player Manchester United have signed from Atalanta. United paid £37.2m for forward Amad Diallo. Diallo joined the Red Devils as a teenager and made his debut against Real Sociedad in the Europa League in February 2021. A year after arriving at Old Trafford, Diallo was loaned to Rangers for the end of the 2021-22 season. United then sent Diallo on loan with Sunderland in the summer of 2022.  

Atalanta has got the best of the Diallo transfer so far. At 21, Diallo still has time to fulfil the potential United paid for. Diallo has played just nine times for United, scoring one goal and assisting one. His chances were few and far between, and there is a possibility he could leave Old Trafford again this offseason.  

Hojlund is 6ft 2 and provides a physical presence in the final third. The striker missed just two games due to an injury last season. Anthony Martial missed 27 matches for the Red Devils through injury in 2022-23. Rashford also missed nine games due to injuries. Hojlund’s durability could provide United with a striker capable of playing in nearly all 38 Premier League matches.  

Erik ten Hag still has a lot of work to do. He has already signed Andre Onana, another player he coached at Ajax. There will come a time when there will be no more former Ajax players for Ten Hag to sign. Hojlund is a player with plenty of potential. That potential is what United are buying.