Transfer Talk: Hojlund out to emulate Haaland's Scandinavian success

Rasmus Hojlund has announced himself on the world stage after impressing for both Denmark and Atalanta this season.

The 20-year-old forward scored five times in two games during the international break and currently has more goals than caps for the Danes.

His emergence has caught the eye of several European giants, including Arsenal and Manchester United, suggesting a move could be on the cards this summer.

As Atalanta prepare for a Serie A clash with Cremonese on Saturday, we turn the spotlight on red-hot Hojlund.

Danish delight 

Hojlund has proven to be a revelation since arriving in Italy from Sturm Graz last summer, netting 14 times in 33 appearances across all competitions.

Though the 6ft 2in marksman did not receive glowing reviews during his stint in Austria, he has recently been dubbed the new Erling Haaland — thanks largely to his impressive pace and physicality.

His style of play is similar to the Norwegian sensation, who has scored an impressive range of strikes on his way to a mind-boggling 42-goal haul for Manchester City this term.

Hojlund boasts a similarly broad catalogue of finishes but most have come from him speeding past defenders before smashing home.

Mad for Manchester

Until this season, it had been a frustrating few years for Hojlund, who came through the ranks at Copenhagen before being offloaded to Sturm Graz.

But his current trajectory could help him secure a third transfer in less than two years at the end of the campaign.  

As a self-proclaimed United fan, Hojlund presents the Red Devils with a viable alternative to top targets Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, who are expected to cost at least £100million each. 

On a potential move, he said: "Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan. 

"So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me, but of course that doesn't mean I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point."

Fetching a fortune

Hojlund signed a five-year deal when joining Atalanta, which puts the Italians firmly in the driving seat should clubs start sniffing around their star striker.

The four-cap international made headlines with a hat-trick on his full Denmark debut against Finland last week, which will only have driven his value up.

Hojlund has a supreme goalscoring instinct and can often be seen throwing himself at crosses and sprinting to close down opposition players.

And with bags of time on his side, the Copenhagen-born ace may find himself at the centre of a bidding war in the months ahead.

Untapped potential

Several clubs are set to be in the market for a proven goalscorer at the end of the season — but one man who will be desperate for Hojlund to stick around is Gian Piero Gasperini.

The Atalanta boss has hailed his No17 and could not help but draw comparisons with the world-class Haaland. 

Following the 2-0 win over Lazio in February, Gasperini said: "Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable. 

"He has very similar characteristics to Haaland — and not just his face. He is so quick, he's under 11 seconds over 100m and that's not even trying very hard. 

"He still has so much margin for improvement, too. I am convinced he'll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day."