Ruben Amorim’s decision to start Rasmus Hojlund up front for Manchester United’s Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur was one of the major decisions the head coach got wrong.
The Dane has been in miserable form all season, and the Portuguese tactician should have gone for a much bolder approach, even a false nine system, with Joshua Zirkzee not fit to start.
However, his selection call backfired as expected, and it is clear that the Denmark international should not be anywhere close to starting for a club of United’s stature.
INEOS want to sell him but are aware that his disastrous form means the club are unlikely to recoup anywhere close to
the initial €75 million they paid Atalanta for his services in 2023.
Rasmus Hojlund price slashed
Initially, the co-owners had slapped a €60 million price tag on the United No 9’s head amid interest from Juventus but the Turin-based club had no intention of going that high.
Now, as per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils have decided to slash Hojlund’s asking price by €10 million with the report claiming United will “happily cash in between €50m and €55m” from the sale.
The Bianconeri need a striker and also have Victor Osimhen on their list of targets but the feeling is the ex-Atalanta player’s relatively his low wages would make him a safer target.
The 22-year-old earns £85,000 gross per week (via capology), while the Nigerian would command £300,000 gross per week minimum while Napoli are also hesitant to sell to a direct rival.
Juventus deal for Rasmus Hojlund dependant on CL qualification
The report also mentions that Champions League qualification would make it easy for Juventus to afford Rasmus Hojlund.
Juve are currently fourth, and can qualify by sealing a win against Venezia, who are fighting to stave off relegation, on Sunday.
Based on Hojlund’s form, it still seems more likely that United could be forced into loaning him out to try and restore his value, much like the Antony and Jadon Sancho operations.
Juventus have been linked with a loan approach as well while there is also interest from Turkey. It will be intriguing to see how INEOS go about clearing this mess in the summer.
Feature image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
