As far back as January, Manchester United realized that Harry Kane wouldn’t be the solution to their long-standing quest for a reliable centre forward.
However, within Old Trafford, there’s an acknowledgment that the club has taken a high-stakes gamble on 20-year-old Denmark international Rasmus Højlund to fill that role.
According to sources at ESPN, it was a calculated risk that United felt they had to take. Højlund’s transfer fee from Atalanta amounted to £64 million and could rise to £72 million based on performance-related clauses in the deal. He is undoubtedly promising but relatively untested at the highest level, exuding confidence but yet to face the biggest challenges.
With his imposing stature and distinctive shock of blonde hair, Højlund will inevitably draw immediate comparisons to Manchester City’s prolific goal scorer, Erling Haaland, as he becomes the focal point of United’s attacking plans.
However, the reasoning behind United’s decision to sign Højlund, as per ESPN sources, was to hit the reset button on a flawed recruitment policy that led to a series of costly mistakes in the attacking department.
Ever since Robin van Persie’s successful arrival from Arsenal in 2012, helping United secure their most recent Premier League title with 26 goals in the 2012–13 season, the club has struggled with a string of poor signings in that position.