Man Utd told exactly what they'll get from Rasmus Hojlund in Haaland comparison
Manchester United have been told they may have signed the next Erling Haaland in Rasmus Hojlund.
United turned heads when they agreed to pay Atalanta £72million for the 20-year-old striker. He was unveiled at Old Trafford on Saturday before the 3-1 friendly win over Lens, but will not be available to play for some time due an injury.
Hojlund joins United with a relatively small amount of experience behind him, having played just one season with Atalanta following a move from Austrian side Sturm Graz. He scored 10 goals in 34 games for Atalanta last season and has six goals in six games for Denmark, but remains a bit of an unknown quantity.
When he recovers from his injury, United fans are in for a treat, according to Austrian defender Raffael Behounek, who has compared him to Manchester City goal machine Haaland. Behounek went up against Hojlund while playing for WSG Tirol against Sturm Graz in a 2-2 draw in February 2022 and was hugely impressed by what he saw.
“We were 1-0 up and then Rasmus scored twice – it was difficult to mark him because he is so fast, smart and is also very strong,” he told Express Sport.
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“We exchanged trash talk during the game, he was so young yet still so good. He has what it takes to be one of the best strikers in the world. In a few years he could play for Real Madrid or Barcelona – he just needs time.”
This is not the first time that Hojlund has been compared to Haaland, who also honed his skills in Austria before earning a big-money transfer to the Premier League. Hojlund is blond, tall, fast and Scandinavian and Behounek knows better than most how similar they are.
Rasmus Hojlund scored 10 goals for Atalanta last season (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Rasmus Hojlund be a success at Manchester United? Comment below.
“I played against Haaland during my first-ever match in the Austrian Bundesliga,” he said. “He wasn’t so special that day but still managed to score a penalty. Then he went crazy. Hojlund is a little bit like Haaland, I think. There are big similarities.”
Despite his youth, Hojlund doesn’t mind the comparison to a player three years his elder. He said: “Haaland is fast. I am also fast. He is left-footed. I am also left-footed. He is strong and I am strong, too.”
He is not lacking confidence, either. “I’m very excited. I want to bleed for this jersey, and I want to win some trophies, so that’s why I came here,” he said after being unveiled.
“Of course, I’m 20 years old, so I have a lot still to learn, but I hope I can become a world-class striker as soon as possible.
“I know it’s the most competitive league in the world. Playing for Man United has always been my dream. So, this is two very important components which make me take this decision to come here.”
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