MU is pursuing Atalanta’s Ramus Hojlund, and is determined to bring this young striker to Old Trafford in the summer of 2023. So what makes the Red Devils want to own the signature of this 20-year-old striker so much?
1. “Danish Haaland”
Hojlund’s playing style has earned him the nickname “Denmark’s Erling Haaland”. The combination of speed and physical prowess of the Man City star made him the terror of every central defender in the Premier League last season. Hojlund has many similarities with Haaland. He is 1m91 tall, but possesses the speed and technique to force defenders to take their eyes off him.
Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini previously said: “Hojlund has the spirit, the energy, the intensity and also the technique.
Hojlund is also left-footed and has blonde hair like Haaland. He also has a decent shot conversion rate (17.1%), with 18 goals scored from 105 shots.
2. Natural born goal scorer
The similarities between Hojlund and Haaland don’t stop there. Looking at last season’s Serie A shooting map, Hojlund took the majority of shots in the penalty area. Some strikers like Harry Kane prefer to stay deep to participate in the construction of the game, but Hojlund shows the instinct to “sniff” the goal from close range more.
The Danish striker’s shooting map shows that he only made 3 shots from outside the box last season. This is what MU really needs because in the 2022/23 season, the Red Devils seriously lack a high-class scorer who can make good use of opportunities in the opponent’s penalty area.
3. The “Demon” is as fast and powerful as a bull
Atalanta teammates emphasized Hojlund’s ability to damage opponents thanks to his great physical background. Captain Rafael Toloi commented: “Hojlund is an outstanding talent. He has strong physicality and great speed. Hojlund has everything he needs to be excellent. He is working with the right coach and team.”
Midfielder Marten de Roon added: “I did not expect Hojlund to be so strong. When he first arrived here, his quality was noticed. He has incredible speed and physicality to play for 90 minutes.”
4. Europe’s most promising emerging talent
At the national team level, Hojlund also resonated a lot. After Denmark were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup, Hojlund scored five goals in two matches in qualifying for EURO 2024 in March, including a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Finland. All make the name Hojlund noticeable, and he is considered the brightest young talent in Europe today. Of course, Hojlund still has a long way to go to perfect both his ability to combine play and high pressing to become a top striker like Haaland.
Hojlund’s scoring performance needs to be even better, as he has only scored 18 goals in 69 league games. This number is clearly far from world class. In addition, Hojlund also has to improve his ability to create opportunities for teammates, because football is not a one-man sport. So far, he has only created 45 chances in his career. However, with MU owning a highly creative midfield, this is not an important issue.
5. Matching Ten Hag’s playstyle
With that said, MU desperately needs a reliable striker who can score many goals for the club. Last season, only two players, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, surpassed 10 goals in all competitions. Wout Weghorst’s loan contract is disappointing, while Anthony Martial has been the same for many years, never a fulcrum in attack.
In the past, coach Ten Hag had preferred a big striker and was successful with the model of Sebastien Haller at Ajax. Therefore, Hojlund has become the name that MU is looking for in the summer of 2023.
