Man Utd snubbed £1.5m ‘gamble’ for two reasons before spending £64m to sign Ten Hag’s top target
According to reports, Manchester United decided against signing Rasmus Hojlund for a cut-price before he joined them for £64m this summer.
The Red Devils were always going to sign at least one new striker during the summer transfer window and they ended up spending an initial fee of around £64m to sign him from Atalanta.
Hojlund has been one of the worst finishers in the Premier League at the start of this campaign but he has been one of United’s better performers this season.
The 20-year-old has impressed in the Champions League as he has scored three goals in Man Utd’s first two group games. He will be hoping to add to his tally on Tuesday night when the English giants face his former club – FC Copenhagen – at Old Trafford.
Austrian side Sturm Graz paid around £1.5m to sign Hojlund from Copenhagen at the start of 2022 before Atalanta snatched him later that year for around £15m.
A report from Manchester Evening News claims ‘United had been tracking Hojlund since his days in Denmark’ but they ‘decided against taking a punt on him a year ago’.
‘Recruitment bosses decided against taking a punt on Hojlund a year ago because they felt they needed that cash in what was an expensive summer in Ten Hag‘s first transfer window, with £225million spent on overhauling the squad. The then 19-year-old was also unproven at a level outside of Denmark and Austria and would have been a significant gamble at that stage of his career.
‘It was in September last year when their interest started to increase, watching him in every game and beginning background checks on his character and personality. United were impressed at the way he adapted to Serie A by the end of 2022 and felt Gian Piero Gasperini was a good manager to assess Hojlund’s work under, given his high demands.
‘It was at Christmas time that United added Hojlund to the mix of potential strikers but come the summer they had to be wary of clubs who also needed players in that position. While Bayern Munich went for Kane and Chelsea signed Nicolas Jackson, Paris St-Germain were keen on Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani, as well as signing Goncalo Ramos from Benfica.’
Man Utd were also linked with Kolo Muani but they did not think ‘he could adapt to the Premier League’.
‘United looked at Kolo Muani, who scored 23 goals in 46 games for Eintracht Frankfurt last season and also scored for France in the World Cup, but were unsure whether he could adapt to the Premier League.
‘They also wanted a No. 9 who could hold-up play and link the play, while Kolo Muani likes to drop off.
‘Hojlund fitted the bill and recruitment chiefs felt his potential also outstripped that of Kolo Muani. United acted swiftly to sign the 20-year-old to avoid getting into a bidding war with PSG, who ended up paying €95million for Kolo Muani on deadline day.’
