Rasmus Höjlund will be moving from Atalanta to Manchester United as part of a deal.
The 20-year-old Danish striker will cost the Old Trafford club £64 million ($82 million) plus an additional £8 million ($10 million) in add-ons. He will follow the signings of Mason Mount and Andre Onana as Erik ten Hag’s third summer signing.
After the decision was made to forego moves for Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, Höjlund became the top target for the center forward position. Ten Hag was initially eager to add an experienced No. 9, but the Dutchman has changed his mind after seeing the potential in the young Höjlund.
At one point, United was adamant that they would not pay more than £60m for Höjlund, despite Atalanta’s demand for £77m. United conceded that a striker would need to arrive before the deadline, weakening their negotiating position and forcing them to pay more than initially anticipated.
In the meantime, Höjlund’s departure was made possible by the signing of forward El Bilal Toure by Atalanta on Saturday.
With 58 goals, Ten Hag’s team had the lowest goal total among the top six Premier League teams. Despite his lack of experience thus far, Höjlund is one of Europe’s best young players.
Höjlund, who has not yet played 100 senior games in his career, scored nine goals in 32 Serie A appearances last year. He has six goals in six international appearances for Denmark and 27 goals in his senior career while playing for Copenhagen, Sturm Graz, and Atalanta.
With him on board, United’s summer spending will have nearly reached £180 million, forcing the team to focus on offloading players in order to balance the books. Alex Telles has joined Al Nassr for £4 million, and Anthony Elanga has signed a contract worth up to £20 million with Nottingham Forest.
Dean Henderson is on the verge of signing a loan agreement with Forest, with an obligation to make the move permanent next summer. Fred, Eric Bailly, and Donny van de Beek are other potential targets for United.
United will take offers for McTominay and Maguire into consideration, but they must receive a sizable offer before they can leave Old Trafford.
