Rasmus Hojlund’s move from Atalanta to Manchester United is now a matter of paperwork, as the parties struck a definite agreement over the weekend.
Man Utd have agreed to fork out €75 million upfront plus a further €10m in add-ons after seeing their opening €60m bid knocked back by the Serie A talent factory.
As per Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, the 20-year-old striker skipped today’s training session in anticipation of his move to Old Trafford, with only the final details separating him from a quantum leap in his career.
Hojlund defined personal terms with the Red Devils long ago, but the Premier League heavyweights went through a great deal of trouble to convince Atalanta to sanction the transfer.
It’s only a matter of time before Erik ten Hag signs a much-needed centre-forward, having been in the market for a new forward since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure for Al-Nassr last winter.
While the Denmark international wasn’t his first choice at the start of the summer, the circumstances surrounding the club’s stalled takeover have forced the Dutchman’s hand.
Priced out of deals for Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, the Man Utd boss has identified up-and-coming Hojlund as the best candidate to quench the scoring thirst.
The former Sturm Graz forward didn’t feature for Atalanta in a 3-1 friendly win over Bournemouth on Saturday, indicating his long-awaited move to the Premier League has reached the final stage.
Not even Paris Saint-Germain’s last-ditch attempt to hijack United’s effort to sign Hojlund could make the Danish prodigy change his mind.
Atalanta have already found a replacement for their outgoing youngster, splurging a club-record €30m fee to prise El-Bilal Toure from La Liga side Almeria at the weekend.
Hojlund’s arrival looks imminent, but it may not be the last piece of business conducted by Man Utd this summer.
Ten Hag is still eager to land a new central midfielder, with Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat emerging as the most exciting profile now that they’ve missed out on Declan Rice’s signature.
