Rasmus Hojlund: 11 things you didn’t know about Man Utd’s next striker | OneFootball

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One of the most exciting aspects of your club making a brand new signing is, if you're not already familiar with them, diving in and learning all there is to know about the player that will soon be donning your team's shirt for the first time.

Even if you are aware of them on a surface level, learning the little details and things you otherwise wouldn't know can be a fun process, and if you're a Manchester United fan and that's why you're here, you're in luck.

He might not have officially signed with the Red Devils yet, but all signs are pointing to a £72 million deal being completed imminently, so here are 11 things you probably didn't know about Man Utd's next striker, Rasmus Hojlund.

11 His Denmark record is perfect

The crux of any great striker is the ability to score goals and if Hojlund's international form for Denmark is anything to go by, United are landing a pretty effective forward.

In six games for his country's senior team, the 20-year-old has scored six times, averaging a goal a game for his country.

It offers evidence of his ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis, and United fans should be excited at the prospect of seeing him leading the club's front line in the near future.

10 He cost Atalanta less than £15m last summer

Atalanta have consistently had a knack for unearthing some hidden gems, and they managed to do so again when they signed Hojlund last summer.

The Serie A side signed the striker from SK Sturm Graz from the Austrian Bundesliga for just £14.7m one year ago and after an impressive debut season in Italy, he's set to make the club a hefty profit.

Reports are suggesting that United have agreed a deal to sign Hojlund for around £72m, an almost £60m profit for Atalanta.

9 His twin brothers are also footballers

Hojlund isn't the only member of his family that's playing football, with his two brothers both also carving out careers in the industry. The pair, Emil and Oscar are twins and both currently play for FC Copenhagen in their homeland of Denmark.

Emil, who also plays as a striker, made his first-team debut last season but hasn't quite broken through yet, making just a solitary appearance, while Oscar sits further back on the pitch, playing as a central midfielder. Similarly, though, he made his first-team debut last season, with one solitary appearance in the league.

8 Hojlund had interest from Paris Saint-Germain but chose to join Man Utd

While the 20-year-old is set to join the Red Devils, they were far from the only club interested in his services this summer, with French champions Paris Saint-Germain also chasing the forward.

Hojlund only had eyes for Old Trafford, though, proving United still have the ability to attract some of Europe's brightest talent, despite several rough years following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

7 Hojlund has played for three football clubs so far

Despite being just 20 years old, Hojlund has already seen his fair share of moving around, having played for three different clubs so far in his career.

Starting off at Copenhagen, he made the switch to Austria's Sturm Graz in January 2022, but after an impressive half-season with the club that saw him score 12 goals in 21 appearances, he was snapped up by Atalanta seven months later.

It seems he's about to join his fourth club, with his sole year in Italy being enough to attract the former Premier League champions, United.

6 Hojlund has a proven European track record

While his time at Copenhagen wasn't the most prolific in terms of goals scored in the club's domestic league, in fact, he failed to score a single goal in the league, but it did demonstrate his ability to perform in Europe.

During the club's 2020-21 Europa Conference League campaign, Hojlund scored five goals for the club, showing he had what it takes to make that step up and perform in Europe, something United will value highly this year as they return to the Champions League.

5 He played at almost every level of Denmark's youth setup

While he's now a regular for Denmark's senior team, it's safe to say, he worked his way up to the squad, playing in almost every one of the country's youth teams.

Starting off at Under-16, he also appeared for the Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 teams as well, but surprisingly, he has actually seen the most success in the senior team. His six goals for the national senior team, is more than he scored for every other level combined.

4 He made his first-team debut at just 17 years old

After a couple of impressive seasons under his belt, you'd be forgiven for assuming Hojlund was actually older than he is, but he got his start quite early, making his debut for Copenhagen at just 17 years of age.

It shows the immense faith in his ability that the club had in the forward, and has afforded him an impressive level of experience already. It means United are signing a striker with a wealth of experience under his belt, but who still has plenty of time ahead of him.

3 His father was also a footballer

WIth Hojlund and his two siblings all playing football, it should come as no surprise to anyone to see they are actually the offspring of a former footballer as well.

Anders Hojlund was a Denmark striker, who didn't quite see the success his son has, making just three appearances for B93 during the 1998/99 season, but that was as good as it got for the patriarch of the Hojlund family, and he retired shortly after.

2 Hojlund has been compared to Erling Haaland

As far as comparisons go, being compared to one of the most explosive strikers in world football in Erling Haaland is pretty much as good as it gets.

Hojlund has been likened to the Manchester City forward due to his 6ft 3in stature, his ability to regularly bully defenders physically and his blistering pace. He's not quite hit the back of the net quite as prolifically as Haaland, to be fair, very few players in history have, but with the potential there, United fans should be very excited with the transfer.

1 He has his own special trait

All the best players have their own little signature move or trait that they are known for, and Hojlund is no different. Recent videos of the forward went viral online recently with fans pointing out the underrated trait he has that will make him a very valuable addition to the Red Devils' squad.

The special trait is Hojlund's ability to hold up the ball and shield it from his defender once he's collected it. Using his impressive stature, he has shown time and time again his ability to hold opposition players off, allowing he forward to keep possession of the ball and ensure he doesn't have to force anything if there's nothing quite on the cards.

The trait will be especially useful to United as brand-new keeper Andre Onana has shown in the past a tendency to play a long ball to his forwards, and having a striker like Hojlund who can take control of the ball, and hold off his defender, allowing the rest of the Red Devils' attack to push forward will be huge for them.