Transfer Centre

Manchester United 'offered two players for Rasmus Hojlund'

By Ben Sully | 24 September 2023

Man United 'offered two players for Rasmus Hojlund'

Manchester United reportedly offered two players to Italian side Atalanta BC in their attempts to sign Denmark international Rasmus Hojlund.

Manchester United reportedly offered two players to Atalanta BC in their bid to sign Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund in the summer.

The Red Devils were determined to bring in a new striker ahead of the 2023-24 season, leading to links with the likes of Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen.

Hojlund soon emerged as Man United's top target, but agreeing a deal with Atalanta proved to be a difficult process.

With Lee Congerton, Atalanta's head of recruitment, holding out for €100m (£87m), Man United proposed two players in exchange to help get the deal over the line.

According to The Athletic, Man United offered midfielders Donny van de Beek and Fred as makeweights in the potential transfer.

Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund on August 5, 2023 © Reuters

However, the proposal was swiftly knocked back by Atalanta, who made it clear that they solely wanted cash to part ways with the young striker.

Following lengthy negotiations, the 20-time English champions reached an agreement with Atalanta over a transfer worth £72m.

The Red Devils ultimately held off interest from French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who wanted to sign Hojlund before they strengthened their forward options with the additions of Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani.

Erik ten Hag reportedly pushed to sign Hojlund after holding video calls with the Denmark international.

Following those conversations, the Dutchman believed that Hojlund had the character and personality to handle the pressure of playing for a club the size of Man United.

Rasmus Hojlund enters for his Manchester United debut on September 3, 2023 © Reuters

Hojlund missed the first three games of the season through injury, before he made his debut as a substitute in a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal earlier this month.

The 20-year-old opened his goalscoring account in his third game for the club after finding the net in Wednesday's 4-3 Champions League loss against Bayern Munich.

Hojlund made his third consecutive start on Saturday, as Man United bounced back from their midweek defeat to claim a narrow 1-0 win over Burnley thanks to a first-half strike from Bruno Fernandes.

After claiming their third Premier League win of the season, the Red Devils will now turn their attention to consecutive fixtures against Crystal Palace, beginning with Tuesday's EFL Cup tie.