admin Man Utd made Rasmus Hojlund the seventh most expensive player in their history this summer and he has made a strong start at Old Trafford.
Manchester United gambled on his potential by signing Rasmus Hojlund for £72m this summer, but the absence of solid strikers on the market makes the 20-year-old Dane Circuit became one of the most expensive contracts on the market. the club’s history.
If United had followed Erik ten Hag’s wishes to sign Harry Kane, they might have broken the transfer record with the £89m spent on Paul Pogba, but even without that trophy the pressure is still on pressed on Hojlund’s shoulders.
Leading United’s attack always comes with responsibility, no matter the cost, but Hojlund has so far accepted it. His debut at the Emirates was full of potential and the way he celebrated his first goal for the club at the Allianz Arena last week showed a player ready to fight.
When Ten Hag was asked to describe the young man’s mentality after the deal was made, he chose the word “brave” and you can see why. He liked Hojlund’s personality and although young and new to his career, he was already a prominent figure at Carrington.
But the former Atalanta striker is struggling with the weight of history and the expectation of scoring more than 20 goals a season for United. In euro terms, he is United’s seventh most expensive signing ever, or sixth in sterling terms. Either way, a glimpse of those above him makes for quite grim reading.
Let’s start with the three people who left the club. Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Angel Di Maria are all on this list. Lukaku and Di Maria are currently facing boos upon their return to Old Trafford and if Pogba returns, he will almost certainly receive the same treatment.
Pogba never became the player United expected him to be. He was hired to lead a new generation, but he lacked the necessary leadership skills and in the end, he could barely keep his place on the team.There have been flashes of genius under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but never the sustained excellence expected. His united efforts to arrange a departure from 2019, with agent Mino Raiola, also reflect poorly on him.
At least Pogba lasted six seasons. Lukaku hit the ground running two years after his £75m transfer and took his starting photos at the club when he joined Inter Milan. Di Maria, 2014 contract includes 59 pounds.The £7m fee was then worth €75m and lasted for a disastrous season before heading to Paris.
Three of the players above Hojlund in the list are still at Old Trafford. Two of them are currently unselected and one is competing for the No. 4 centre-back position with a 35-year-old player. That’s all the proof you need to know that high fees don’t guarantee success at United.
Antoine still hasn’t been able to reverse his own destiny.He is only 23 years old and although he does not have the quality to justify the £85.5 million price tag, he still retains the confidence of Ten Hag and when selected he is still a right winger is selected first. According to this list, that probably makes him a success story at the moment.
United paid £80m to sign Harry Maguire four years ago and accepted a £30m offer to sell him this summer, with the 30-year-old rejecting a move to West Ham . His only start this season came in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night and he has become an entertaining figure during his time at the club.
Then there is Jadon Sancho, currently training on his own after accusing Ten Hag of making him a “scapegoat” and not telling the truth when he said his absence from the squad for a Premier League game at Arsenal was due to his training performances. It’s hard to envisage any way back for the £73m winger.
It’s a remarkable record really, but not all hope is lost. Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are significant signings who have managed to impress at Old Trafford.
Hojlund carries more risk than that trio, given his relative lack of exposure at the very highest level, but United’s scouts liked what they saw and Ten Hag believes he can turn him into a gem. If he achieves that then maybe the tide is turning when it comes to the most expensive signings in United’s history.
