The moment Rasmus Hojlund forced Manchester United transfer bosses to take notice

With Spurs seemingly reluctant to sell Harry Kane, Manchester United have turned their attention to a number of alternative number nine options. One of the leading candidates is Atalanta and Denmark striker, Rasmus Hojlund.

A hat-trick against Finland and a brace to follow vs Kazakhstan in recent Euro 2024 qualifiers saw his stock rise dramatically and comparisons with a certain striker already in Manchester have already been drawn.

His current club manager Gian Piero Gasperini claimed that Hojlund’s similarities to Haaland go beyond first glance, drawing attention to the pair’s similar physical appearance. The 20-year-old Dane can run 100 metres in under eleven seconds while standing at well over 6ft tall.

Remind you of someone? A left-footed, powerful Scandinavian number 9 makes it hard not to draw comparisons with Erling Haaland. Gasperini has been more impressed with Hojlund the more he has seen him play, crediting his technical quality as well as his spirit and intensity.

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At his hometown club, FC Copenhagen, Hojlund scored 15 goals in 22 games for the Under 19s, earning a move to Sturm Graz in January 2022. The youngster was on the move again at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, as Atalanta picked him up for €17m.

It was away at Lazio in February where Hojlund announced himself to European club football. Terrorising the Lazio defence, Hojlund was electric throughout. He tapped in from Ademola Lookman’s cross in the second half but caught the eye with a bursting run through the heart of the Lazio defence displaying exhilarating speed.

If United are to direct their interest toward Hojlund, they will not be without competition. It’s said