Rasmus Hojlund’s toils as the main striker at Manchester United have been laid bare by a damning statistic as the club consider alternatives.
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Hojlund has struggled to settle at Man UtdForward moved from Atalanta for £72 millionClub already considering new strikers to replace DaneFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Throughout this second disappointing season at Old Trafford, Hojlund has struggled to get into games and assert himself against opposition defences. In 22 league appearances so far, the Dane has scored just two goals and not registered a single assist. He is yet to score this calendar year and time appears to be running out for the 22-year-old to make his mark at the Red Devils. His lack of goals can be partly explained by his lack of shots – he has taken just 13 shots (excluding blocks) in the league this season.
Ruben Amorim has pointed to a lack of chances being created, but by comparison, Bruno Fernandes leads United's shot count with 44, while Mohamed Salah is top of the Premier League standings with 84. Other centre-forwards, including Raul Jimenez, Ollie Watkins and Nicolas Jackson all have over 50 each, while Alexander Isak, Yoane Wissa and Kai Havertz have over 40 each. Even the likes of Virgil van Dijk (17), Wilfred Ndidi (17), Casemiro (16), Fabian Schar (16) and Gabriel Magalhaes (15) have more, while another United team-mate, Matthijs de Ligt, has attempted the same amount (13).
AdvertisementGetty Images SportMAN UTD TOTAL SHOTS (PREMIER LEAGUE)
Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho aside, United are clearly not having enough shots at goal.
Player
Total shots
Bruno Fernandes
44
Alejandro Garnacho
40
Amad Diallo
22
Joshua Zirkzee
16
Casemiro
16
Diogo Dalot
15
Matthijs de Ligt
13
Rasmus Hojlund
13
Lisandro Martinez
11
Marcus Rashford
11
Harry Maguire
7
Manuel Ugarte
5
Antony
5
Noussair Mazraoui
5
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Hojlund joined the club in the summer of 2023 for a reported £72 million ($92m) from Serie A side Atalanta. Despite fans expecting an immediate impact from the big-money signing, the Dane took time to finally score his first goal and has struggled to lead the line effectively. Even under the guidance of a new boss in Ruben Amorim, Hojlund has looked out of place as the sole number nine in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system. His failure to improve this season is underscored further by the bleak statistic.
GOAL/GettyDID YOU KNOW?
United are reportedly already considering replacing Hojlund in the next transfer window. It's ben rumoured that the Red Devils are plotting a move for Napoli's exiled striker Victor Osimhen, currently on-loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray, and believe they need an upgrade on the Dane if they are to surge back up the Premier League. Amorim has suggested his players' struggles are partly due to their own mindset and Hojlund has serious work to do if he is to regain confidence in front of goal and take more shots.