Rasmus Hojlund has joined Man Utd for £72m (Photo: Getty)
Dimitar Berbatov is certain that Manchester United’s new signing Rasmus Hojlund will transform into a ‘great striker’.
Hojlund completed his much anticipated £72million move from Atalanta to Old Trafford last weekend, however an injury means he’ll have to wait a little while before making his United debut.
Erik ten Hag was desperate to bring in a new striker this summer and identified the Dane early on after pulling out of the race to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham.
However, the manager has acknowledged that it will talk the 20-year-old a little time to adapt to the Premier League and morph into the elite No.9 that the Red Devils have craved for some time.
Last season, Hojlund scored 10 and assisted four in 34 games for Atalanta – promising numbers but it’s clear he has a lot of work to do to show that he was worth such a huge investment.
But former United striker Berbatov is sure that under Ten Hag’s guidance and with the support of his new teammates, the young forward can thrive, telling Betfair: ‘Rasmus Hojlund is an investment, at 20 years old he’s still a boy and has a lot to learn.
‘Manchester United will be a place where they can teach him to be better. I watched him when he was first linked to Manchester United, and to be honest, I thought he had massive potential to be a great player.
Erik ten Hag was very keen to sign Hojlund (Photo: Getty)
‘Hojlund is aggressive, tall, quick, strong, can score with his left or right foot and is positionally intelligent. These are all good characteristics of a good striker who can become great. Hojlund has a lot of time ahead of him.
‘The big thing is Erik ten Hag wanted him, he spotted Hojlund and now he’ll be in charge of developing and adapting him to the team. The atmosphere and environment at United will teach him what the club stands for.
‘With all his qualities, he can become a great striker at United. From what I’ve seen, he has the confidence on the pitch and he needs to keep that confidence up as soon as he plays his first game for Manchester United.
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‘The football in the Premier League is fast and the tackles are strong, but he’s surrounded by players who can help him shine. He has some great teammates, like Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen who can supply from behind.
‘Hojlund can’t be shy from making runs, asking and looking for the ball, when the opportunity is there, he needs to take it. If the manager trusts you, go out there and prove your quality.’
United kick-off their season next Monday against Wolves, a club who are in turmoil after losing their manager Julen Lopetegui on Tuesday night.
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‘The atmosphere and environment at United will teach him what the club stands for.’