Man Utd Ready to Cash In on Hojlund as Amorim Drops Major Transfer Hint

Manchester United are said to be nearing completion of talks with AC Milan over a temporary transfer for Rasmus Højlund, despite the striker reportedly being reluctant about the potential switch.

Højlund endured a challenging 2024–25 season, managing just four Premier League strikes in 32 outings. The issue wasn't missed opportunities for the industrious 22-year-old, but rather his inability to find scoring positions. Among regular strikers, none averaged fewer shots per 90 minutes than Højlund's 1.4 in England's premier division last campaign.

United's entire attacking unit struggled for effectiveness last season, leading the Red Devils to invest heavily in signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and, most significantly for Højlund's situation, new striker Benjamin Šeško.

The Danish forward has consistently maintained throughout the summer that he intends to stay at Old Trafford and compete for his position. However, the club appears less certain. United have allegedly reached an agreement to send Højlund to Milan on loan for the 2025–26 season.

According to ongoing discussions between representatives, this deal would generate €6 million (£5.2 million, $7 million) in loan fees for United, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. The agreement will also include a €45 million purchase option, exceeding United's previous €34.6 million valuation of Højlund. Still, this figure remains well below the €85 million the talented striker cost when he joined from Atalanta two seasons ago.

The report indicates that Højlund is causing delays in the transfer, as he's reportedly "determined" to stay at Old Trafford.

Despite showing improvement during pre-season matches, Højlund was conspicuously benched for United's last friendly against Fiorentina on Saturday, with attacking midfielder Mason Mount deployed centrally instead. Šeško was introduced to the Old Trafford supporters just hours after his signing was announced.

United boss Ruben Amorim expressed enthusiasm about the new Slovenian striker and suggested he might feature ahead of Højlund in the Premier League season opener against Arsenal next weekend.

"We lacked a proper striker reference," Amorim reflected. "We have a new player [Sesko]. So we'll see, seven days from now. We'll try and figure out who's going to start against Arsenal."

Whether Højlund remains a United player when they face the Gunners on Aug. 17 is yet to be determined.