Inter Milan Fires Back at Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund Transfer Deadline
According to recent reports, Inter Milan's pursuit of Manchester United forward Rasmus Højlund has been placed on "hold".
The Champions League runners-up allegedly made contact with the Danish striker's agents in early June. Inter stands out among top-tier clubs by consistently deploying two central strikers, meaning they require greater attacking depth than most teams.
Team captain Lautaro Martínez and the physical Marcus Thuram are clearly the preferred starting pair, but there's scope to strengthen the backup options behind them. Marko Arnautovic won't see his deal extended, while Mehdi Taremi's contribution has been minimal.
Questions also remain about whether the promising Esposito brothers—Pio and Sebastiano—will stay at San Siro or be sent on loan for additional playing opportunities next season.
Højlund's raw energy and enthusiasm, combined with his Serie A background, made him an appealing target for Inter. However, that early enthusiasm has diminished according to Fabrizio Romano.
United are reportedly insisting on a complete, outright sale of Højlund, whereas Inter would prefer a loan arrangement with purchase option. The Red Devils have previously gone down this path, sending out unwanted pair Marcus Rashford and Antony on temporary deals last season. Despite both players performing well at Aston Villa and Real Betis respectively, their substantial salaries have prevented permanent moves so far.
Ruben Amorim's team are reportedly so eager to offload these expensive players that they're even willing to subsidize their departures.
It would allegedly require a transfer sum of approximately £38.5 million ($51.8 million) to secure Højlund's services from Old Trafford. The energetic striker cost United potentially up to £72 million ($97 million) when he arrived from Atalanta in 2023 and could become one of the club's most significant financial losses in their troubled recent transfer dealings.
Napoli had also shown interest in Højlund, though their attention seems to have turned toward Liverpool's inconsistent striker Darwin Núñez. United's forward, meanwhile, has no desire to depart Old Trafford. "I have a contract until 2030," he stated firmly earlier this summer, "so I expect to play for Manchester United."
Unless United show greater flexibility in their requirements, Højlund's forecast will likely prove accurate.