Linked with Serie A return - Should Man Utd keep or sell Rasmus Højlund this summer?

Old Trafford rebuild 

Following a truly disastrous season last term, Manchester United have decided to take a more pragmatic approach to this summer’s transfer window. With clear targets in sight, the Old Trafford club have already spent €153 million signing Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha from Brentford and Wolves respectively. And if reports are to be believed, the Red Devils have every intention of breaking the €200m mark with the arrival of a new No.9 before the end of the window. 

That, curiously, leaves the future of current No.9, Rasmus Højlund, precariously in the balance. After a campaign that saw the Dane bag just 10 goals in 52 appearances for the club, the 22-year-old talent has found his name linked with a move away from Man Utd in this very window. So far, the young striker has been linked with moves to Inter Milan, Lazio and former club Atalanta and if Man Utd can recoup some of the €77.8m paid for Højlund in 2023, it could finance a move for a new striker. But should the Old Trafford club really cash in on their young talent or could things just be on the cusp of changing for him in the Premier League?

How bad has Rasmus Højlund been at Man Utd? 

While many may be willing to give the benefit of the doubt to a young player still learning their trade as they attempt to adapt to a tougher league like the Premier League, there’s little doubt that Højlund simply hasn’t lived up to his transfer fee since making the move to England. As we can see in the table above, which shows the player’s goals per 90 minutes in all competitions at each club over the course of his career to date, the Dane went from a very respectable 0.57 at Copenhagen, 0.60 at Sturm Gratz and 0.47 for Atalanta down to just 0.37 per 90 at Man Utd. 

These numbers are slightly skewed by the simple fact that Højlund simply hadn’t played much football at senior level before he moved to Man Utd. For example, his total minutes of playing time for his three previous clubs (4,502 minutes in total) is actually less than what he amassed at Man Utd over the course of the last two seasons (6,410). This implies that not only did Man Utd sign a severely inexperienced player to lead their line when they bought Højlund in 2023, but also underlines just how raw of a talent he is. And perhaps hints at some hope that he could vastly improve in the coming seasons if he stays at Man Utd. 

Can he still turn things around this season? 

One saving grace for Højlund this season is the attacking additions that have joined Ruben Amorim this summer. Although Cunha and Mbeumo are predominantly goalscorers, they did still bag 14 assists between them in the Premier League last season and in a sense they could be the perfect accompaniment to the young striker. Not only will they help by taking their fair share of the goalscoring burden off Højlund’s shoulders, but they should also provide far better service than the young forward was shown in the league last season. 

Indeed, while Man Utd did have two clear playmakers in Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo, they were the only Man Utd representatives in the top 50 assist-creators in the league last season. In stark comparison, Arsenal and Liverpool both had four and Manchester City had no less than five. If Mbeumo and Cunha can join such ranks this season and help bolster the chances Man Utd create in each game, it should help the club drastically improve on last season’s unenviable record of being the fifth-worst attacking team in the Premier League based on goals scored and in turn see Højlund score far more goals.