Manchester United target Rasmus Hojlund, who has been compared to striker Erling Harland, has been described as a player with the qualities of a rock-star.
It can be seen that the comparison with Erling Haaland is not really reasonable, but Hojlund can be an exception in this case. Denmark’s star striker is said to be comprehensive, it will be difficult not to put on the balance because of the similarities between the two.
“I can see the similarities. He’s fast. I’m fast. He’s left-footed. I’m also left-footed. He’s strong and I’m strong too.” – Hojlund confidently talked about Haaland and himself.
The interest from Manchester United shows the rapid development of this young talent, who just scored his first goal before leaving Copenhagen for Catez last January. The striker was only there for seven months before being sold to Atlanta.
Hojlund’s influence in Austria was so high that Sturm Graz received a fee of 17 million euros (£14.56 million), about 10 times what the club had to pay. The success of this striker in Serie A will help Atalanta be more demanding on the transfer market. However, what did the Sturm Graz club see in the man who could become a new star at Manchester United?
For sporting director Andreas Schicker, Hojlund is the stereotype. “Our goal is to achieve success on the pitch, with a squad consisting of experienced and leadership players surrounded by young, talented players that we want to develop. “, he told Sky sports.
“We try to get the strikers into the game as quickly as possible and keep them in front to harm the opponent – this requires a lot of sprints and quick decisions from our strikers. and I think that’s a strong advantage for Rasmus,” said Christian Ilzer, head coach of the Sturm Graz club.
Ilzer was also impressed by Hojlund’s personality, describing the striker as open, friendly and cheerful. It was a teenager moving abroad for the first time, but the built-in confidence in Ramus was evident from the first meeting at the Slovenia training camp.
“We looked at Hojlund very carefully before signing Rasmus, both as a player and as a person. When he arrived at Catez, he still surprised me in a positive way.”
Due to his outgoing personality, Hojlund quickly integrated into the team. It was only the second game and Sturm Grazzal faced Rapid Wien, as Hojlund scored and celebrated his goal in front of the Rapid fans.
“I tried to explain to him that it wasn’t the right thing to do. But I quickly understood that Hojlund needed this ‘catalyst.’ He played for both his fans and his opponents. ”
“His attitude and energy are both very good. The packed stadium was not even a threat to him, even a motivation for this guy. Whether at home or away. There’s something inside of him that can engage the fans and get them excited.”
In addition to that goal against Rapid, two more goals in the win over Red Bull Salzburg last August alarmed other teams across the continent. Schicker quickly realized the club’s long-term vision for Hojlund was pre-planned.
“Everybody saw that he was destined to do something bigger,” he said. “We’ve helped perfect his image and it’s impossible to hinder his next steps after this guy got off to a great start last summer. With Atlanta, I think Hojlund has found a great club for the next step.”
Hojlund’s influence in Italy also spread rapidly. Seasoned coach Gian Piero Gasperini admits that while he predicted what kind of player Hojlund would be, seeing Hojlund’s running ability, resilience and willingness to keep performing The breakthrough surprised the strategist.
Hojlund scored his first Serie A goal since the World Cup, and then a streak of goals in four consecutive appearances. The five goals in just two games for Denmark during the break for the national team tour in March underscored his progress.
At the end of the season, he broke into the Serie A top 10 in terms of direct goals per 90 minutes, shots taken and touches in the opponent’s box. With such a performance, it seems that this guy is about to take a new step when he turns 20.
The appeal of Manchester United is obvious. It’s not just about Hojlund being the key piece in the missing striker position, but the player is also a Manchester United fan. Teammate Philip Billing describes Hojlund as a Manchester United player. This striker was born for the biggest stage, moreover, Hojlund also has a personality that needs to be discovered by himself.
“I am confident in his ability and he has a great future at the highest level in Europe,” added Schicker. “His technique, combined with his pace, strength and quality in front of goal, mentality and personality make him an excellent striker.”
