Rasmus Højlund backed to shine as Manchester United ‘close’ to finalising £50m star

Rasmus Højlund has been backed to shine as Manchester United are reportedly close to finalising a £50 million summer transfer.

Rasmus Højlund‘s first season as a Manchester United player was full of mixed success. The player finished the campaign as the top goalscorer under Erik ten Hag while also suffering a 14-game goal drought in the Premier League.

Although he did not start the final three fixtures of the season, Højlund netted in both his final league appearances but failed to impress with a Denmark side that didn’t win any of their four fixtures at the 2024 European Championships before being knocked out by Germany in the round of 16.

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However, Højlund’s 16 goals have been looked upon favourably by United fans, and with legendary striker Ruud van Nistelrooy set to join Ten Hag’s coaching team, former England striker Alan Shearer has backed Højlund to improve under the Dutchman’s guidance.

“That (Van Nistelrooy’s appointment) can only enhance and help Højlund because Ruud van Nistelrooy has been there; he’s worn the shirt at Old Trafford. Højlund working with him on the training ground is only going to improve him,” he told Betfair earlier this week.

“In really difficult circumstances for Hojlund last season, I think there’s definitely something to work with there. It was around 16 goals he got in the end, which is a decent return for how tough it had been for him and a lot of his teammates for most of the season.”

Meanwhile, ESPN have reported that United are now “close” to an agreement for Paris St. Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

Ugarte only signed for the French giants last summer in a £50 million deal from Sporting CP, but Luis Enrique has informed the 23-year-old that he is no longer in the club’s plans, and they are open to a sale.

A bid of around £50 million would reportedly secure his transfer, although others have claimed that PSG would be willing to make a loss on the Uruguayan international to speed through a transfer.

United need to sell players in order to fund transfers, with Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood expected to leave. They could be followed out of the door by Casemiro and Scott McTominay, should reasonable offers arrive.

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