AC Milan have reignited their interest in Manchester United forward Rasmus Højlund, who nearly joined the Italian side before his move to Old Trafford two years ago
Rasmus Højlund joined Manchester United in August 2023 for a fee of £64 million, with a further £8 million in potential add-ons, and his time at Old Trafford has been anything but easy.
He joined the club to lead the line for Erik ten Hag’s side, after just one year at Atalanta, where he scored 10 goals and registered two assists in 34 appearances, not bad for a 20-year-old striker in his first season in the Serie A.
However, since his move, the now 22-year-old Højlund has scored just 26 goals for United in almost 100 appearances for the club, including just 10 goals last season.
If it hadn’t been for the injury to Joshua Zirkzee, Højlund would likely have played significantly less last season, but he had to step up with Chido Obi as the only other striking option.
The pressure that is felt at Old Trafford appears to have been too much for the Denmark international, and many fans feel a loan move away from United could be the best option for him this summer to regain his form.
AC Milan reignite interest in Højlund
While a loan move could be the best option for Højlund, Jason Wilcox and the transfer team may look to sell the striker this summer to fund other transfers, as Rúben Amorim will be pushing for several new players.
As reported by SportMediaset, AC Milan are working on a deal to sign Højlund this summer, who they were previously linked to before his move to Old Trafford two years ago.
It is not known if United or AC Milan would be open to a loan with a buy option, but funds may be needed quickly at Old Trafford if they want to secure Bryan Mbeumo’s signature.
Brentford now appear to be demanding a fee of £70 million for Mbeumo, and United may not have such money to offer after paying £62.5 million for Matheus Cunha earlier in the window.
Højlund could be moved on, along with Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, to fund a deal for Mbeumo, as well as a potential move for a World Cup-winning midfielder.
Elsewhere, it has been previously reported that if the Dane were to leave United, they could look to move for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who has been touted as a “perfect” transfer for Amorim.
Zirkzee’s importance set to increase
With Højlund potentially moving away from Old Trafford, Zirzkee could be set for an important role in Amorim’s squad next season, especially if United miss out on a striker signing.
If the Red Devils do seal a move for Mbeumo, Zirkzee could become crucial to United’s frontline, being the most creative out of the front free, allowing Cunha and Mbeumo to be the goal threats.
At just 24 himself, this would be a big step up for Zirkzee, especially considering he scored just seven goals and registered two assists in his 49 appearances last season.
Despite this, Amorim may trust the Dutchman to find his form in the early parts of the season, before giving Chido Obi increased gametime towards the back end of the campaign if he continues to impress.
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