Rasmus Højlund was an unused substitute during Manchester United’s final pre-season outing of the summer against Fiorentina on Saturday afternoon.
Before Manchester United ended up drawing 1-1 with Fiorentina at Old Trafford, they announced the signing of new striker Benjamin Sesko on a five-year deal.
Sesko is expected to be the main striker for Ruben Amorim moving forward and that has put Rasmus Højlund’s future into even more question.
The United no.9 has been vocal in his desire to stay at Old Trafford but he was seemingly sent a clear message by Amorim this weekend.
Mason Mount started as the striker against Fiorentina and Højlund was an unused substitute in the game. Amorim even mentioned after the game that United lacked the attributes of a striker in their play.
Højlund’s response after Fiorentina snub clear
Following on from that game, Højlund’s response has been made clear and the 22-year-old’s position on his future has not changed.
Fabrizio Romano revealed that Højlund is yet to give the green light in a deal with AC Milan, who are looking to take him on loan this summer.
The deal would include a £5.1 million loan fee and a £39 million buy-option for the Italian side, who would also be covering the forward’s entire wage.
But that deal will not be able to be completed without Højlund’s agreement and it seems like being snubbed against Fiorentina has not changed his stance.
Should the Reds want this move to occur, they will likely have to push Højlund to depart and have conversations with him in the coming days.
Højlund wants the competition at United
Højlund’s departure this summer was never going to be a surprise if it happened. In a team of underperformers last season, he still stood out like a sore thumb.
But it is a shame that he might not get the opportunity to play at United without huge expectations on his shoulders. Those have been passed along to Sesko, who will be hoping for a quick start.
Read More: Player Ratings: Manchester United 1-1 Fiorentina (pre-season)
Højlund has been open in discussing the lack of alternative strikers during his time at Old Trafford so far and he probably is ready to finally have a situation where he is not relied on to play every game.
Should he depart, the young forward will still likely enjoy working on his development away from the United spotlight and it is probably the right time for all involved even though he wants to prove himself.
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