Rasmus Højlund has only been playing for Atalanta in Serie A for one full season, but his impact in that time has seen clubs such as Manchester United join the queue wishing to sign him up. The Premier League side are continually linked with the Danish striker, but how much will the club have to pay for his services?
Højlund came through the youth system at Copenhagen in his native country, and it was his impact in the UEFA Europa Conference League which saw other clubs begin to take notice. Sturm Graz of Austria would pay €1.8million to prize him to their club in January 2022, before selling him for €17million some eight months later.
With the fees going higher and higher as Højlund links up with higher calibre teams, it provides an indication as to the sort of price Atalanta wants to receive if they're to let the 20-year-old depart for Old Trafford.
Manchester United are preparing their opening bid for Rasmus Højlund! 🔴🇩🇰
Told personal terms are 100% agreed. He wants United. 🤝🏻
Atalanta told United they don’t want 3 players offered in the deal after initial talks.
Asking price around €65/70m.
Next step: official bid. pic.twitter.com/HsjtJU8FzA
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 18, 2023
Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano is normally the man in the know regards matters such as this, and he reported last week that personal terms between Man Utd and Højlund had already been ‘100% agreed'. The next part however revolves around the two clubs actually coming to an agreement regards a fee.
Atalanta are demanding a price in the region of €65/70million, which would be a significant profit compared to the price they paid Sturm Graz for him around one year ago. The club managed by Erik ten Hag are now looking to proceed with this deal and put an offer on the table.
Romano also indicates that the club will produce said offer over the course of the next week, and that the player himself is very much keen on making the switch, despite possible late interest coming from Paris Saint-Germain. The inclusion of PSG may possibly drive up the price for Højlund, and with Sky Sports suggesting there is a difference between the two clubs in price, this deal is anything but over.
If we are to take a look at the betting odds over the next club Højlund is set to play for, then it does make for interesting reading. Man Utd are in the driving seat in that regard, but PSG cannot be ruled out of the equation either. As things stand, it does look to be a straight two-horse race, although the player himself only has his eyes on the Premier League giants.
So, the price has been set in stone by Atalanta, and the question is whether Manchester United are prepared to pay the fee or not. The club were linked with Harry Kane earlier in the summer, but the England captain has his heart set on a switch to German outfit Bayern Munich. This very much indicates that ten Hag wants a striker, and they may have to pay over the odds to get their man.
In conclusion, if Manchester United, PSG or any club are wanting to prize Rasmus Højlund away from Atalanta, then they are going to have to cough up a price in the region of €65/70million. We await any further developments in this transfer saga.
