Just in case we weren’t sure what the role of Rasmus Hojlund would be at Manchester United, once Benjamin Sesko arrived, yesterday provided clarity. Hojlund was left out of the team entirely, and made to watch from the stands as his team fell to Arsenal, 1-0 at home, to open the new season.
He must find a new team now, and AC Milan were strongly linked in widespread reports last week. Now we have official confirmation from the club itself.
“Hojlund is a good option for us,” Milan’s Sporting Director, Igli Tare, said in an interview Mediaset yesterday.
“We are thinking about him, but in the transfer market, you never know what could happen.”
He’s absolutely right- you never know what might happen. As we learned last week, Milan were looking at a potential loan deal, with an option-to-buy for Hojlund. Man United were said to want about €35-40 million in exchange for the expensive flop, who was once billed as the Danish Erling Haaland.
“It is our player — we have to make choices,” Man United manager Ruben Amorim said yesterday, in response to a question about Hojlund and his status.
“We have players that have to stay helping the team from the outside. He has to fight for his place. We will see what’s going to happen. Rasmus has the same characteristics as Sesko, so sometimes we need to choose.”
Matheus Cunha started up top for the Red Devils against the Gunners. Fellow summer signing lined up behind him in the final third, alongside Mason Mount. Sesko replaced Mount in the 65′.
According to ESPN, United are hoping to receive a fee in the neighborhood of £30 million for Hojlund, “with Milan preferring a loan or lower fee.”
Hojlund cost United £72m, when they brought him over from Atalanta in the summer of 2023.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter