Following a disappointing season for Manchester United, a summer exit for Rasmus Højlund looks likely, and the funds from any potential sale will go towards signing a “perfect” striker.
Manchester United endured a difficult campaign last season, and few felt the weight of it more than Rasmus Højlund, who often appeared out of his depth as the team’s leading striker.
The 22-year-old managed just four Premier League goals and, as the season wore on, even struggled with fundamental aspects of his game, such as his hold-up play.
With Ruben Amorim looking to revitalise his attack ahead of next season’s Premier League campaign, a mass exodus of forwards has started to get underway, with Marcus Rashford leaving for Barcelona, and Jadon Sancho on the verge of signing for Juventus.
Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia are also no longer part of Amorim’s plans, so they will also be looking for moves away. Højlund is reportedly likely to leave this summer than stay if a suitable offer comes in, which would be the sixth likely exit United would sanction in the summer of 2025.
Hojlund could help fund A-list striker
The combined £127.5 million spent on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo means that sales will now become the focus, as the club still have a number of positions that need addressing, including at striker.
Former United chief scout Mick Brown has said that Højlund is unlikely to remain at Man United, with Amorim keen to move him on.
“I think after the deals for Cunha and Mbeumo, their budget is going to have been hit,” he told Football Insider.
“So that means they’re going to look at some of the players in their squad, see if there is any interest, and try to move them on to bring in some extra funds. Rasmus Højlund is one of those they’ve been looking at selling.
“Of course, the price will have to be right because he cost them £70 million and they want to recoup a fair bit of what they paid.
“But it might be that once Højlund is sold, they can move on to signing that new striker.”
New striker will breed competition
Coming into the transfer window, United were linked with strikers who would undoubtedly be the first name on the team sheet.
Now, with the likes of Viktor Gyökeres, Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike out of the picture, United are now considering strikers from the tier below those elite options.
Read More: “He’s complete…” – Ruben Amorim completely agrees with Man Utd chiefs on ‘priority’ midfield target
While the aforementioned names would be almost impossible to replace in terms of quality, strikers now linked to the club, such as the “perfect” striker option Ollie Watkins or Nicholas Jackson, would still be acceptable additions to the squad.
Joshua Zirkzee impressed at times last season before his injury that saw him miss the last part of the season, and with competition up front, there’s no reason not to believe he could kick on from last season and improve, especially with Mbeumo and Cunha on either side of him in the attack.
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