Former Manchester United treble winner, Dwight Yorke, has explained why Rasmus Hojlund will never be a 20-goal-per-season striker, though the Red Devils may have just signed a frontman who could be the answer to their goalscoring issues.
Man Utd forked out an initial £64m (rising to £72m through add-ons) to sign Hojlund from Atalanta one year ago. The Denmark international showed plenty of promise in Serie A, though eyebrows were raised when paying close attention to his scoring rate.
Indeed, Hojlund only managed nine goals in 32 league matches during his lone season in Bergamo. Nonetheless, Man Utd had seen enough to convince them Hojlund was a striker worth signing.
The 21-year-old was hit-and-miss during his maiden season at Old Trafford, with the bulk of his 10 Premier League goals coming in a hot streak after the turn of the year.
Hojlund’s first year at United was by no means a disaster, though the club did see fit to sign stiff competition in the form of Joshua Zirkzee.
And if the comments of former United striker Yorke are anything to go by, Hojlund may quickly play second fiddle to Zirkzee.
As quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Yorke claimed that from all he’s seen so far, Hojlund will NEVER break the 20-goal barrier in England.
Hojlund not good enough for Man Utd – Yorke
“I think it’s going to be very difficult for Hojlund to be a 20-goal a season striker from what I’ve seen and I think it will never happen,” said Yorke.
“He’s still young but even watching him at Euro 2024, he’s lacking something. I’m not quite sure what it is. He’s not got that X factor that you look for in strikers.
“I think he’s a good player. I think that’s the category I would put him in as he’s still very developing and there is huge hope for the kid and I wish him the best but I’m not seeing it just yet.
“I hope he surprises me but I have my doubts about it. I just think that is he going to be Manchester United’s saviour? The answer is no.
“I think he will continue to have fun, like he did this season, but don’t think he will make a massive difference in terms of what United expected to be for that type of money.”
Whether Hojlund goes on to prove Yorke wrong, only time will tell. Nonetheless, if Hojlund doesn’t realise his true potential at United, the club are primed to bring in a deadly frontman who could be the long-term answer up front.
Man Utd to sign striker with obscene scoring record
Man Utd have agreed to bring 16-year-old Chido Obi-Martin on board, much to the dismay of his current club Arsenal.
Obi-Martin has blazed a trail through youth football and famously scored TEN goals in a single match during a monstrous 14-3 demolition of Liverpool’s Under-16s in 2023.
Proving he’s no fluke, Obi-Martin bagged 32 goals in just 20 matches in the Under-18 Premier League last season. That’s despite the fact he began the campaign as a 15-year-old.
The MEN drafted in Football London journalist and Arsenal specialist, Kaya Kaynak, to offer an insight on the player United are poised to unveil.
Who Obi-Martin compares to
Kaynak drew early comparisons between Obi-Martin and Newcastle hotshot Alexander Isak.
The Swede was among the Premier League’s most clinical finishers last year when scoring 21 goals in 30 matches at a rate of a goal every 108 minutes. Only the league’s leading scorer, Erling Haaland, scored at a superior clip.
When asked about Obi-Martin’s playing style and who he compares to, Kaynah replied: “It’s a bit hard to say as he’s still so young, but one thing he seems to be very good at is scoring goals.
“He’s quite a bit taller (6ft 2in) than most others around his age group right now and looks stylistically a bit similar to Alexander Isak with his languid running and technical ability.”
Asked if United fans should be excited about the coup, the reporter concluded:“I’d say so.
“There’s clearly a high-potential player in there. He’s someone who can score lots of goals and that’s not easy to find.
“The big test for him will be seeing how he steps up through the age groups. If he manages that though, United have a real player on their hands.”
Despite Obi-Martin being just 16 years old, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has reported the youngster has been installed as United’s third-choice striker for the upcoming season.
As such, Obi-Martin may yet debut in senior football sooner than many would have thought if Zirkzee and Hojlund are ever unavailable for whatever reason.
