After a horror show of a second season in Manchester, Rúben Amorim is looking for a new striker, and it is up in the air whether or not Rasmus Højlund will get the chance to continue his Manchester United career.
Having joined from Atalanta in summer 2023, Rasmus Højlund had a promising debut season at Manchester United, finishing as the club’s top scorer. It was clear that work needed to be done, but for a debut season, it was pretty good.
In the pre-season before his second season at United, he was unfortunate to get injured in his first game, missing the start of the season. He came back again looking promising, and then in his first five games under Rúben Amorim’s management, he scored as many goals, hitting the ground running.
However, what unfolded afterwards was almost perplexing. At first, the goals dried up, fine, it happens for strikers. But the longer he went without a goal, it felt as though the Dane’s performances just went into freefall, reaching points where he was practically unwatchable.
Clearly, he needed more help, and he did have some games in the latter half of the season where he showed his potential quality. However, it was also very clear that he was not yet ready to be United’s main man in attack.
Whilst a new striker is needed, I don’t think United should give up on Rasmus Højlund just yet.
The potential is undeniably there
Look, last season was an absolute disaster. A horror show. That cannot be denied, and it is understandable why many people want to part ways after what happened.
But one thing that can’t be denied is that Højlund possesses clear talent. However raw it may be, the talent is there. He showcased it at Atalanta, and he has also demonstrated it at various points throughout his United career.
The Danish forward is still only 22 years old, and his United career so far hasn’t exactly been the most stable. The team environment has been chaotic, which is always difficult to develop in; he has battled injuries at key points, and there has been a change in manager.
It is interesting to note that many of the things people say about Benjamin Šeško, as they quote him on X, discussing his potential ability, are similar to what was said about Højlund in the summer of 2023.
He is big, quick, naturally strong, can shift and carry the ball, has fire in his belly and a goalscoring hunger, makes a lot of good movements in the box, and strikes the ball well with both feet.
Talent does not disappear, but it can be poorly handled. While the player is far from blameless amidst his struggles, United have clearly not handled his development well so far.
A new striker could be the best thing for Højlund
It almost sounds weird to say, but for both Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee, a new striker could well be just what they need to make the jump that both are capable of making.
Throughout the summer, links have been established with players like Ollie Watkins and Jean-Philippe Mateta, two experienced Premier League strikers with proven quality.
You know exactly what you are going to get from them, and they are at a point in their careers where they replace the younger strikers as the main men in attack, but do not spell the end for them.
Having those players to take pressure off them, as well as for them to learn off in training and matches, could well prove to be invaluable for players who have been put under quite a lot of pressure fairly early on in their careers. It gives them more room to grow and develop.
Read More: “It’s really important…” Bryan Mbeumo agrees with Rúben Amorim on his next step at Manchester United
Hojlund is a talented striker, and it really does feel like if he were to leave United, then he would end up another of the ‘ones who got away’, a list of players who thrived away from Old Trafford that is increasingly growing.
Change comes from within, and if United’s regime really wants to change the culture, then doing a better job of handling young talent would be a great start.
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