Author: Amrit Santlani
On Saturday, Manchester United confirmed the signing of Rasmus Hojlund in a £72 million deal from Serie A club Atalanta.
The Old Trafford club had been chasing Hojlund all summer and, despite facing strong competition from Paris Saint-Germain, the Danish striker chose United as his next destination.
Following the completion of the deal, 20-year-old Hojlund becomes the latest summer arrival, after the signings of Mason Mount from Chelsea and Andre Onana from Inter Milan. Hojlund was unveiled at Old Trafford in front of the home crowd during the 3-1 win over Ligue 1 side Lens.
For those who don’t know, the Dane joined Atalanta last summer and, in his debut campaign in Serie A, scored 10 goals in 34 appearances. The striker has signed a five-year contract with Manchester United, until 2028, with the option of a further one-year extension.
“It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of this great club since I was a little boy. I dreamed of going to Old Trafford as a Manchester United player” said Hojlund after his presentation.
According to a BBC report, Hojlund will miss the first two weeks of next season after suffering a minor injury during pre-season with his former club. Erik ten Hag’s side are due to start their Premier League campaign on Monday, August 14, at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Hojlund was called up to the Danish national team six times and scored on six occasions during the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
In addition, Chelsea also confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for a fee of £25 million from Brighton and Hove Albion. The 25-year-old has signed a seven-year contract with the Stamford Bridge outfit and will try to compete with fellow Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga for a place among the goalkeepers.
Following Sánchez’s arrival, Chelsea’s summer spending exceeded 175 million pounds, with the signings of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Brazilian full-back Angelo and Lesley Ugochukwu.