What should Manchester United expect from Hojlund?

Manchester United are ready to sign Rasmus Hojlund for around €85m total, but what should they expect from the incoming Atalanta striker?

Multiple reports yesterday confirmed that the Red Devils had agreed a deal with the Bergamo based side, willing to pay a fixed €75m plus €10m in add-ons for the 20-year-old Danish striker.

Hojlund only joined Atalanta last year, arriving from Sturm Graz in a deal worth around €17.2m. In his debut season with the club, he scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 34 appearances across Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Considering that the 20-year-old has only scored nine goals in a top five European league, his €85m total fee may seem severely overpriced, but it’s clear that Manchester United not only believe in Hojlund in the future, but in the present as well.

The underlying numbers highlight why Hojlund has commanded such a fee. Last season, Hojlund produced an average expected goals of 0.47 per 90 minutes, taking 2.65 shots per 90.

He generated 2.75 shot-creating actions per 90 and received 11 progressive passes per 90, showing his ability to get in the right spaces for a shot on goal.

It’s no secret that the Danish striker is not yet the finished product, but at just 20 he is already showing why he is such a highly touted player, being tactically intelligent and reading the game well.

His decision making can still disappoint on occasion and he is no stranger to inconsistency, but these are things he’ll likely improve on in the coming years, already having a strong foundation.

Hojlund posses the right physicality to impress in the Premier League and his ability to drive forward with the ball, helped by both his technical ability and imposing physique, will add a new layer to Manchester United’s attack.

He averaged 6.52 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 last campaign, capable of both receiving the ball in tight spaces and pushing through the final third.

Hojlund may not immediately shine at Manchester United, netting just one goal in his first 13 games at Atalanta, but there’s not doubt that he’ll start to shine once his confidence grows and he starts to develop an understanding with teammates like Bruno Fernandes.