Manchester United Agree Eye-Watering £72m Fee to Sign Atalanta Striker Rasmus Højlund

Manchester United has reached an agreement with Atalanta for the acquisition of Rasmus Højlund, agreeing to pay an initial fee of £64m for the forward. This comes as a surprise since the club had initially stated they would not exceed £60m for his transfer. The overall cost, including add-ons, will amount to £72m, and the talented Danish international will be signing a five-year contract with an option for another year.

Eye-watering fee for relatively unproven

Manchester United's decision to surpass their own valuation by £4m has raised eyebrows, especially considering Højlund's lack of experience in English football. Last season was his first in a major European league, Serie A, during which he managed to score nine goals in 32 appearances.

At the start of the transfer window, Erik ten Hag had his sights set on Tottenham's Harry Kane before the deal fell through. Notably, the total price for Højlund's transfer is just approximately £28m less than what acquiring the England captain would have cost. Atalanta had originally demanded an initial fee of £77m for their player.

Reinforcements in before start of season

With the additions of Mason Mount and André Onana earlier in the window, Manchester United's summer spending has almost reached £180m. However, if they can raise the necessary funds by selling fringe players, Ten Hag might be looking to make a fourth addition. The priority then would be signing Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat or another defensive midfielder.

Ten Hag has been vocal about the need for attacking reinforcements following his team's 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in a friendly match. United struggled to convert their 14 attempts on goal during the match, a recurring issue from the previous season.

When asked if the friendly defeat highlighted the necessity for a new striker, Ten Hag responded, "Absolutely. There were two things - the pressing can be better from the start and scoring goals. I think we need more players who are capable of one-on-one situations, and we had those opportunities during the game."

Published on: Sunday, July 30, 2023, 10:51 AM IST