Rasmus Højlund is rapid, raw but a worthy gamble for Manchester United

The 20-year-old forward has a lot to learn but his dazzling form for Atalanta early this year showed his rare potential

RAPID RISE: Denmark's forward #21 Rasmus Hojlund celebrates with the fans after the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying football match against Finland. Pic: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)

Even a footballer who runs the 100m in under 11 seconds can be surprised by the pace of his own progress. Rasmus Højlund began 2022 as a reserve for FC Copenhagen. In the 19 months since, he has completed three transfers with a combined value of more than €100m and has now landed at Manchester United: a club he supported as a boy. It is, as he put it during a first interview with the club’s in-house TV channel, “a little bit surrealistic”.

Do not expect Højlund to be daunted. A big reason he fell for United in the first place was admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo’s unabashed ambition. Højlund recalled an interview in which the Portuguese, early in his first stint at Old Trafford, was asked to name the best player in the world and immediately nominated himself.