AC Milan are interested in a move for Rasmus Hojlund with Manchester United willing to sanction a loan exit for the striker with a substantial fee if they cannot secure an acceptable sale price.
United remain willing to sell Hojlund, who is available for just over £30million, although the Denmark international is not part of the so-called ‘bomb squad’ (consisting of Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia) currently exiled under head coach Ruben Amorim.
United’s preference is for a permanent sale of Hojlund but are also open to a loan arrangement if a suitor will not reach their valuation of just over £30million.
A loan deal can include an option or obligation to sign the player at the end of the season, but United may prefer to secure a loan agreement that ensures coverage of Hojlund’s wages — which are around £110,000-per-week — as well as a multi-million pound loan fee. The hope will then be that Hojlund rediscovers some of his best form while away from the club and restores some of his value.
The arrival of Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford has pushed Hojlund down the pecking order in Amorim’s squad, with Joshua Zirkzee and teenager Chido Obi other striking options.
Hojlund was an unused substitute in Saturday’s friendly against Fiorentina, with Mason Mount — an attacking midfielder by trade — starting in the No 9 position.
Addressing the issue of not playing a central striker in the match, Amorim said after the game: “We struggled without a reference as a striker. We have a new player [Sesko]. So we’ll see, seven days from now. We’ll try and figure out who’s going to start against Arsenal (on the opening day of the season, August 17).”
The Athletic reported in The Transfer DealSheet on June 3 that Milan’s city rivals Inter were interested in Hojlund, whose preference has been to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford. Since then, Inter have signed Ange-Yoann Bonny from Parma.
The Denmark international had played down suggestions of him moving from United in an interview while away on international duty in June.
“I have a contract until 2030, so I expect to play for Manchester United,” Hojlund said. “I’m looking forward to going on a summer vacation, and then I’m fully dedicated to the project that’s underway.”
He reiterated this desire on Wednesday night after United’s win over Bournemouth in the Premier League Summer Series, saying in the mixed zone that his plan was to stay and “fight for (his) spot, whatever happens”.
However, having recruit handsomely already this summer, United need now to offload players to balance the books. The club have so far failed to strike a transfer fee for any outgoing players, but they have saved substantially on wages with the departure of Marcus Rashford to Barcelona, as well as expiring contracts for Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof.
United still want to add a central midfielder in this window, but sales must be achieved to make this happen.
The 2024-25 season was the striker’s second for United after joining on a five-year contract from Atalanta in a deal worth €75million in 2023, plus €10million in performance-related add-ons.
The striker struggled to find form last season, scoring only ten times in all competitions including a 21-match goalless streak between mid-December and mid-March.
Hojlund only scored four times in the Premier League, making him United’s fourth highest goalscorer in that metric, one above fellow striker Zirkzee.
The goalscoring struggles came in United’s record-breaking poor campaign as they finished 15th, their lowest placing in the Premier League. They won 11 times out of the 38 league games and scored only 44 times, leaving them with a minus ten goal difference.
Hojlund began his senior career in his native Denmark with Copenhagen, making his senior debut as a 17-year-old in 2020. He had a brief spell at Austrian club Sturm Graz in 2022 before heading to Italy in August of that year, where he registered eight goals and two assists in 31 games for Atalanta in 2022-23.
(Kevin C. Cox – Premier League/Getty Images)