Why Manchester United aborted Harry Kane pursuit as £72m Rasmus Hojlund switch confirmed

Rasmus Hojlund was paraded at Old Trafford before Manchester United’s friendly with Lens

Rasmus Hojlund was paraded at Old Trafford before Manchester United’s friendly with Lens – Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Rasmus Hojlund walked out at Old Trafford to a rapturous reception on Saturday as Erik ten Hag’s long search for a striker was finally completed.

Hojlund completed his £72 million move from Atalanta to United and was paraded in front of fans before the club’s pre-season friendly with Lens. He has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year in a deal worth an initial £64 million, with a further £8 million in add-ons.

“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,” he said.

“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to turn that dream into a reality, and I am determined to repay the faith that the club has shown in me. It is still early in my career, but I know that I am ready to make this step up and play with this group of world-class players.

“Once I had spoken to the manager, I knew that this environment would be perfect for my 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 team-mates at this special club.”

Sources say Ten Hag believes Hojlund has the character and temperament to handle the pressure of playing for Manchester United.

Ten Hag watched extensive footage of Hojlund and received frequent, detailed scouting reports on the striker. United most recently dispatched scouts to watch Hojlund in action for Denmark against Northern Ireland in Copenhagen in June.

But the United manager also held multiple video calls with Hojlund before settling on the 20-year-old as his preferred target after the club backed away from a move for Harry Kane.

Ten Hag is thought to have been struck by Hojlund’s personality, ambition and appetite and felt the 6ft 3in forward would fit in perfectly with his project at United.

Hojlund is believed to have left Ten Hag in no doubts that he wants to establish himself as one of the world’s best strikers and is fully dedicated to ensuring that happens.

Ten Hag also feels Hojlund’s physique, pace, energy, hunger and ability to press and make runs in behind are ideally suited to the Premier League.

United, nonetheless, have taken a big gamble by committing £72 million on an inexperienced young striker rather than pursuing a proven goalscorer like Kane.

Hojlund has made fewer than 90 senior club appearances for Copenhagen, Sturm Graz and Atalanta and managed just nine goals for the Italian club in Serie A the last season. Only 19 months ago he was transferred to Graz from Copenhagen for €1.8m.

A number of big money arrivals at United in the last few years have struggled to live up to their price tags, including £85m defender Harry Maguire and the £73m forward Jadon Sancho, but Ten Hag is known to feel Hojlund has all the attributes to not only handle the scrutiny and expectation but thrive under it.

Ten Hag is known to accept that it could take Hojlund some time to settle in England – Marcus Rashford is likely to get some run-outs at centre-forward and the manager has experimented with Jadon Sancho as a false nine in pre-season – and that the signing is not without its risks, but believes that it is the right move.

Ten Hag would have loved to bring Kane to Old Trafford but a number of factors ultimately dissuaded United’s hierarchy from joining Bayern Munich in a fight for the England captain.

United were understood to be particularly concerned about being drawn into a protracted stand-off with the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and the risks of getting down to the final days of the window with a deal still not in place.

Kane’s £100m plus valuation – and the overall cost of a deal with wages – is also thought to have been an obstacle although it is hard to believe United would not have been able to cough up the extra £30m to £40m it would have taken to sign the striker over Hojlund through further sales.

Kane represents one of the few elite strikers who offer a guarantee of goals having scored 275 goals in his last 409 appearances for Spurs plus 58 in 84 games for England.

At 30, though, he was also in an age bracket of player United are generally not targeting as Ten Hag seeks a lower age profile with scope for real growth although few signings could have brought the sort of immediate uplift Kane would have likely offered.