It has been suggested that Manchester United could offload Rasmus Hojlund in a swap deal after his underwhelming debut season at Old Trafford.
Hojlund was one of United’s marquee signings during last year’s summer transfer window as the Premier League giants splashed out an initial fee of around £64m to sign him from Serie A outfit Atalanta.
One of Man Utd‘s priorities during last year’s summer transfer window was to sign at least one new striker but their limited funds meant they missed out on Harry Kane and only signed Hojlund.
Hojlund enjoyed a purple patch around the New Year as he scored in six Premier League games in a row but he is far from the final product and Erik ten Hag is clearly having to ask too much of the inexperienced striker before he’s ready.
The 21-year-old could have done with having a more experienced option to share playing time this season while he learns on the job and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new recruitment team are likely to scour the market for a new forward this summer.
It has been anticipated that their new forward will compete with Hojlund next season, but it has been suggested that they could offload the Denmark international to bring in Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
“It’s a plausible scenario…”
Napoli have declined this season after they won the Serie A title in 2022/23, but Osimhen has impressed as he’s scored 17 goals in his 31 appearances for the Italian giants.
Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli this summer and could cost £94m amid interest from Arsenal. But agent Andrea D’Amico – who does not represent either player – thinks a swap deal is “feasible”.
“Osimhen-Hojlund exchange with United? It’s feasible,” D’Amico said.
“Manchester United respects the characteristics where Osimhen could play, in short, it’s a plausible scenario.”
In a recent interview, Hojlund has revealed one thing he “misses” about life before he joined Man Utd.
“It’s been great. Personally, it’s been a fine year for me, and I’ve tried a lot of things. I’ve played in the Premier League and the Champions League, and that’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve enjoyed it and am already looking forward to next season,” Hojlund said.
“You feel an incredible amount of pressure when you’re at Manchester United. There are eyes on you all the time, on and off the pitch, because the club is so huge. It takes some time to get used to it, but I feel like I’ve found my rhythm.
“I remember one of the first days when I was walking around the city with my girlfriend, and there were paparazzi photographers on the street. I thought, ‘Wow, do people really care to see pictures of me just walking around?’ Apparently, you can make a lot of show and both good and bad stories out of that.
“I’ve always wanted to get here, and it’s not that it isn’t great, but there is definitely also a downside. You don’t have the same freedom in your vocabulary and generally in everyday life. You can’t always say what’s on your mind, because it can be taken out of context.
“I do miss that part – being able to be at peace and act like an idiot if that’s what you want. I do miss being able to mind my own business without thinking about whether someone is listening and keeping up with where Rasmus Højlund is now.”
