Why it is essential for Manchester United to sign Rasmus Højlund now

Strikers change games. Whether you’re losing 2-0 or winning with the same scoreline, effective strikers are an essential part of the team as the great Johan Cruyff once said: “To win you have to score one more goal than your opponent.”

While Marcus Rashford’s red-hot form last season mitigated the lack of a quality striker in the Manchester United team, it is imperative to note that The Reds will have to sign a proven and young goalscorer if they want to clinch silverware in the near future. Relying on Anthony Martial last season to score goals proved costly and loanee Wout Weghorst failed to find the net in the league.

However, things are set to change this season (hopefully). Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that Manchester United have made a verbal offer to Atalanta for the signing of Rasmus Højlund this summer. The proposal is expected to be around €60 million, with the initial fee amounting to €50 million plus €10 million in add-ons. La Dea wanted to receive a figure of €70 million in total from the striker’s sale proceedings but it seems like they will have to settle for a lesser transfer fee.

As for United, the price might appear to be elevated but they won’t get another chance of coming so close to such an elusive striker anytime soon again. The project is perfectly in place by Football Director John Murtough and manager Erik Ten Hag as they are aware that an investment in the 20-year-old now will achieve long-term attractive dividends.

Probing how the young striker performed for Atalanta last season in a defensively sound league like the Serie A, Rasmus Højlund could soon become a €100 million striker or greater than that in the next few years. The key for The Red Devils is to sign the €100 million striker before he actually achieves the mark in worth.

(What a piece of shrewd business that would be!)

While the signings of Mason Mount and Andre Onana were enough to empty a lot from the coffers and financial analysts may suggest that it is a good time to stop investing more, signing a generational striker isn’t an opportunity to be wasted. Perhaps, United with their verbal bid are going over the line considering the state of the club, but it is an excellent signing, keeping the long-term future of the team in mind.

Initially brought in to sit on the bench, Højlund carved out a place for himself in the Atalanta side last season following the injury of first-team striker Duvan Zapata. Ten goals and two assists were enough to launch him into the world of football as one of the brightest emerging prospects. The youngster could deliver convincing performances for the Denmark National Team with his six goals in four matches in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. Altogether, the Dane isn’t someone who messes up in front of the goal. With a lethal left foot and the ability to quickly lose his marker, Rasmus Højlund is just waiting to showcase himself in the fast-paced world of Premier League football.

After how things turned out with the Erlind Haland affair, Manchester United won’t be risking losing another Scandinavian striker to anybody else in the market. It is just a matter of time before we see Rasmus Højlund donning the colours of The Red Devils and ruling the Premier League with his impressive footballing brain and clinical strikes.