Manchester United have signed striker, Rasmus Højlund from Atalanta in a £72m transfer deal.
Højlund spent just one season at Atalanta in which he scored ten goals and created two assists in 34 appearances, having joined the Italian club from Austria’s late Sturm Graz in August 2022.
Such is Højlund’s quality, Atalanta lost just one of the 10 games in which he scored – which came in a 2-1 defeat to Lecce in mid February.
Man Utd consequently decided to swoop for the 20 year-old to spearhead their revamped central attack, having struggled for goals in that position last season aside from Marcus Rashford who delivered a solid job despite the left wing role being his best position.
Utd have paid Atalanta an initial £64m transfer fee for Højlund but will pay a further £8m in add-ons, which took the total transfer fee up to £72m, with the 20 year-old signing a five-year contract until June 2028 at Old Trafford.
Speaking about his move to Utd, Højlund commented: “It is no secret that I have been a fan of this great club since I was a small boy, and I dreamed of walking out at Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.
“I am incredibly excited about this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me.”
On playing under Erik Ten Hag, Højlund added: “Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for me development; I am relishing the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the world.
“Under his guidance and support, I know that I am capable of achieving great things together with my new teammates at this special club.”
Utd’s Director of Football, John Murtough added: “Rasmus is a truly exceptional talent. He possesses technical and physical attributes which rank him amongst the best players in the world for his age group.
“Working under Erik ten Hag and his coaches will provide Rasmus with the perfect development platform. Everyone across the club will ensure that he is given the time and all the support required to reach his immense potential.”
Højlund began his career with Denmark’s Copenhagen where he made his senior debut in October aged 17 years-old and went on to score five goals in 32 appearances, before he moved to Sturm Graz and proceeded to net 12 goals in 21 appearances for the Austrian Bundesliga team.
Højlund represents Denmark in international football and has scored six goals in six appearances since he made his debut in September 2022, with three of those six goals coming in a hat-trick win over Finland on his first international start in March.