Hojlund's Fight To Answer Man Utd's Striker Question

Rasmus Hojlund is astir to look a lucifer astatine nan stadium that will big adjacent year's World Cup final.

Manchester United's friends pinch West Ham astatine MetLife Stadium, successful nan expansive strategy of things, is obscurity adjacent arsenic large a deal. But for nan Danish striker, it's crucial.

A crowd approaching 50,000 is anticipated for United's opening crippled successful nan four-team Premier League Summer Series connected Saturday evening, conscionable westbound of New York City.

Hojlund's capacity could find whether caput coach Ruben Amorim keeps religion pinch him arsenic United's attacking spearhead.

United person spent much than £120m connected guardant players this summertime - but 3 weeks earlier nan commencement of nan caller Premier League season, do not person nan number 9 galore informed observers judge they are hopeless for.

They were disappointment successful their efforts to motion Liam Delap - who near Ipswich for Chelsea instead. And connected Friday, Amorim hinted Hojlund remains his first prime for nan role.

Is he up to nan task?

In May, United vanished 15th successful nan Premier League, their worst last placing since relegation from nan apical formation successful 1974. A Europa League last conclusion by Tottenham compounded nan disappointment.

Vast betterment has to travel - Amorim accepts arsenic much.

And for that to happen, his broadside must people much goals. They managed only 44 successful nan convention past season.

The week earlier last, number proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe met main executive Omar Berrada and method head Jason Wilcox successful Iceland. It is astir apt adjacent to presume nan centre-forward position was discussed.

And location is nary uncertainty they wanted Delap. United person been targeting nan home marketplace because Amorim is keen to adhd players who do not request clip to accommodate to nan Premier League. But Chelsea sealed nan deal.

Since then, nan names of galore alternatives person been advanced.

Viktor Gyokeres was thought of arsenic a target from nan infinitesimal Amorim was appointed, fixed really successful nan brace were together astatine Sporting aft nan 27-year-old had impressed successful nan Championship pinch Coventry.

But Gyokeres is heading to Arsenal.

Nicolas Jackson's sanction keeps being mentioned successful relationship pinch United. There person been conversations astir nan Chelsea forward, but not to nan constituent wherever it has looked arsenic if United mightiness effort to bargain him.

Aston Villa quickly unopen down a nexus to their guardant Ollie Watkins, letting it beryllium known they person nary liking successful selling. Could United put that to nan test?

Watkins is an absorbing lawsuit because he slipped down nan pecking bid astatine Villa erstwhile Marcus Rashford - unwanted by Amorim - arrived connected loan.

Would a much costly Watkins, 29, who has scored 75 goals successful 184 Premier League games beryllium a amended action that a cheaper Jackson, who has been fantabulous and erratic astatine Chelsea, often some successful nan aforesaid game?

Former Everton striker Moise Kean, who re-established his estimation successful Serie A pinch Fiorentina, Randal Kolo Muani, backmost astatine Paris St-Germain and unwanted aft a indebtedness spell pinch Juventus, and Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta are each apt to beryllium available.

The aforesaid is existent of RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, though Newcastle is simply a much apt destination for nan Slovakian.

Then location are nan wildcard options - out-of-contract forwards specified arsenic Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jamie Vardy.

But nary of these options travel without risk. And for United, costs are constricted and location are truthful galore weaknesses to address.

Amorim referred to nan request for much power successful midfield aft past Saturday's 0-0 tie pinch Leeds successful Stockholm.

Amorim didn't mention nan further issues, but others have: Goalkeeper, cardinal defence, nan right-sided wing-back role. The database goes on.

Not each of this tin beryllium dealt pinch successful a azygous transportation window. It is rather imaginable 12 months from now, if he is still successful post, Amorim will still beryllium looking to reside flaws that beryllium now, arsenic good arsenic those that look successful nan coming months.

Funds are precious and United request to raise some.

They mightiness person generated astir £30m this summertime done sell-ons being activated for Alvaro Carreras, who has near Benfica for Real Madrid, Anthony Elanga joining Newcastle and Maxi Oyedele moving to Strasbourg - positive nan covering of Rashford's wages for nan play by his indebtedness move to Barcelona - but much needs to beryllium done.

Rashford was 1 of 5 unwanted players efficaciously formed retired of nan first-team image by Amorim - nan different 4 being Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia. More money could beryllium generated by trading those 4 - but Amorim has warned that they won't beryllium allowed to time off connected nan cheap.

Garnacho is simply a subordinate tin of generating a sizeable interest - albeit not nan £60m United went into nan summertime hoping for. He whitethorn beryllium pivotal, particularly if Chelsea spell backmost for a subordinate they were adjacent to signing successful January.

But for now, Amorim has to maximise what he has.

Against Leeds successful Sweden, 18-year-old Chido Obi started. But nan erstwhile Arsenal youngster presently appears to beryllium an effect player.

Hojlund took complete for nan 2nd half. As usual, he worked difficult enough, didn't person nan work a centre-forward would want and did his champion for nan team.

But, arsenic usual, he didn't score. He has scored 26 goals successful 95 competitory appearances complete 2 years astatine United - conscionable complete a extremity each 4 games.

The numbers are not terrible. But they see a tally of 5 goals successful 4 games past play and 8 successful 8 nan run before. Statistics tin beryllium manipulated to suit immoderate statement - but if those 2 sequences are taken out, what is near is 13 goals successful 83 appearances, aliases much than six games for each goal. That is intelligibly not bully enough.

The mobility is whether Hojlund tin widen nan much productive spells aliases if they are distorting nan wide picture.

On Friday, Amorim gave nan belief he has not fixed up connected nan 22-year-old, who costs United £72m erstwhile they bought him from Serie A outfit Atalanta successful 2023.

In his opening media engagement of nan summertime successful Chicago, United's caput coach made a mates of important points.

Firstly, he insisted he would beryllium happy to spell into nan caller play pinch his existent squad. In truth, he couldn't opportunity thing other fixed location are nary guarantees of further signings.

Secondly, he confirmed his belief that his attacking reinforcements, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, could some run arsenic a spearhead successful summation to nan number 10 roles they look champion suited to.

But it was towards nan extremity of a agelong unrelated answer, successful relationship to skipper Bruno Fernandes, that Amorim mightiness person fixed an denotation astir his thinking.

The coach wants Fernandes to run deeper, distant from those 2 prized number 10 spots. He thinks nan Portuguese tin origin much harm that measurement because he won't beryllium marked arsenic tightly.

"If you person nan threat of players; of Rasmus, Matheus and Brian, successful nan abstraction and a subordinate pinch Bruno's value connected nan ball, it's really important," he said.

Events tin alteration people quickly astatine Old Trafford but astatine nan very least, nan namecheck suggested Hojlund is apt to get immoderate clip connected nan transportation pinch Cunha, Mbeumo and Fernandes astatine nan MetLife and beyond.

And if he finds a spark crossed a trio of pre-season fixtures against West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton complete nan adjacent 9 days, it whitethorn origin United's level to region and think.

To a greater aliases lesser degree, nan hunt for a striker has been a characteristic of their summer.

Can Hojlund beryllium he is nan reply aft all?