Hojlund does not explode and is left out of MU

It was just a friendly match at MetLife, which will host the 2026 World Cup final, but for Rasmus Hojlund, this was no different than a "final" match that would determine his position.

The 22-year-old needs to prove that he is worthy of manager Ruben Amorim’s continued trust in Manchester United’s attack. With the club having spent over £120m on attacking options but still lacking a top-class centre-forward, Hojlund is in for a tough test.

The "number 9" problem and the thirst for goals

In the 2024/25 season, Man Utd finished 15th in the Premier League - their worst ranking since 1974, accompanied by a painful defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. One of the biggest reasons was the lack of vitality in the attack. Man United scored only 44 goals after 38 rounds - an efficiency of 1.15 goals/match, ranking 17th in the whole league, lower than teams like Fulham or Wolves.

That figure is causing Ruben Amorim even more headaches as he is forced to radically overhaul his attack. Man Utd pursued Liam Delap but failed - the young English striker chose Chelsea. Viktor Gyokeres - Amorim's former student at Sporting, who scored 54 goals in 52 games last season - also abandoned the "Red Devils" to join Arsenal for 64 million pounds. In that context, Man United are still "gambling" with Hojlund.

Joining Old Trafford from Atalanta for £72 million in the summer of 2023, Hojlund was expected to become "Man Utd's Haaland". But after two seasons, what he left behind was 26 goals in 95 matches, an average of 0.27 goals/match - that is, it took more than 3.7 matches to score 1 goal. Notably, if we exclude the two peak performance streaks (8 goals/8 matches in the 2023/24 season and 5 goals/4 matches in the 2024/25 season), Hojlund only has 13 goals in 83 matches - too low an efficiency for a striker worth more than £70 million.

Hojlund's strengths are his fighting spirit and ability to press. He has a 46% success rate - better than Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson (42%) - but what Man Utd need is goals. Last season, Hojlund had 62 shots in the Premier League but only 18 were on target, with an accuracy rate of 29% - a modest figure compared to Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins (51%).

Man Utd and the deadlock in the transfer market

United are not short of targets. They tried to negotiate with Aston Villa for Watkins - who scored 75 goals in 184 Premier League games, equivalent to 0.41 goals per game - but were flatly rejected. Chelsea also do not want to let go of Nicolas Jackson, despite having just had a "half-baked" season with 17 goals but also missed 18 clear-cut chances.

Other options like Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) or Moise Kean (Fiorentina) all carry risks, while free agents like Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Jamie Vardy are not long-term solutions. United's budget is also tight, having only brought in around £30m from Alvaro Carreras, Anthony Elanga and Maxi Oyedele, plus Barcelona paying Marcus Rashford's loan.

Ruben Amorim, in recent statements, has still emphasized his faith in Hojlund, saying that the Danish striker could combine with two new signings, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha - who possess the ability to switch between the false nine and second striker roles.

Amorim even calculated to pull Bruno Fernandes deeper, playing the role of a conductor from the second line, instead of forcing him into the tightly marked No. 10 role. “If there is a threat from Rasmus, Matheus and Mbeumo up front, Bruno will have more space to launch lethal passes,” Amorim emphasized.

The game against West Ham, along with the next two friendlies against Bournemouth and Everton, is Hojlund’s last chance to make his mark. If he continues to fail to score, the pressure will mount and United will be forced to consider adding a new centre-forward, even if it means breaking the bank.

What is worrying is that Hojlund has only scored 1 goal in the last 8 matches, the conversion rate of opportunities into goals is only 12% - far lower than the average standard of 18-20% of the top 6 Premier League strikers.

However, Hojlund still has the advantage of youth and explosive ability. He proved this with a streak of 5 goals in 4 matches last season, showing that when in form, he can make a difference. The question is whether the former Atalanta striker has enough courage to maintain stability under the enormous pressure at Old Trafford.

Man Utd have been on the brink of a major rebuild. The team has too many holes – from defence, right wing, goalkeeper to striker – and the budget cannot handle them all in one transfer window. So Amorim’s bet on Hojlund is almost mandatory.

If Hojlund can use this pre-season to prove himself, he could force Man United to temporarily shelve their plans to sign another striker. But if he continues to be scoreless, the question “Is Hojlund worthy of being the Red Devils’ centre-forward?” will become the biggest question mark of the new season.

This is a pivotal moment for Rasmus Hojlund. He is not only playing for a starting spot, but also playing to prove that the £72 million Man Utd spent on him was not a "failed gamble".

Source: https://znews.vn/hojlund-khong-bung-no-la-ra-ria-o-mu-post1572185.html