Graeme Souness doubts whether summer signing Rasmus Hojlund will bring the goals Manchester United need to improve this season.
Hojlund arrived in a £72million deal from Atalanta just over a month ago, with Erik ten Hag desperate to add more goals to a side that scored just 58 in the Premier League last season. The 20-year-old made his debut against Arsenal last weekend, coming off the bench after being sidelined with a back injury.
He showed plenty of promise at the Emirates, linking up well and providing a presence up front. But while Souness accepts that Hojlund has potential, he has questioned whether the young Dane can be the difference-maker.
“I don’t think Manchester United are going to be any better than they were last season,” Souness told The Express. “They’ve spent £72m on a young centre forward in Rasmus Hojlund, who has not got a great goalscoring record.
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“He played 34 games for Atalanta and only hit the back of the net 10 times. Now he’s come to a league where it’s really tough to get goals. I might be wrong but that’s one hell of a gamble for somebody that doesn’t have a proven track record.”
With Hojlund missing the first few games of the season, Ten Hag was left wanting up top in the opening weeks of the season. Marcus Rashford was pulled into the No.9 position against Wolves and Tottenham, while Anthony Martial started against Nottingham Forest and Arsenal.
The France international was ineffective in both games, and Souness can’t believe he is still starting for United after so many years of frustration and injury.
“I wrote an article five years ago stating it was the last chance saloon for Anthony Martial,” Souness added. “Yet he’s still starting matches as their main focal point in attack. He isn’t a Man United player. He will get you excited and then let you down.
“I still don’t think Antony or Jadon Sancho are long-term solutions for United if they want to win the Premier League and Champions League. They’re still relying on Marcus Rashford.”
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