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Exact reasons Man Utd abandoned Kane for Hojlund revealed, with Ten Hag enthralled by nine selling points

Rasmus Hojlund, Erik ten Hag Man Utd

Rasmus Hojlund signs up with Man Utd (pic from MUFC)

A report has revealed in detail why Rasmus Hojlund quickly became the preferred option for Erik ten Hag when searching for a new Man Utd striker.

Hojlund was unveiled as a new Man Utd player on Saturday after they agreed to sign him from Atalanta for up to £72million. The club have made a major commitment to the Denmark international, who could be the focal point of their attack in the long term.

Due to injury, he won’t be able to make his Man Utd debut when the season starts – and beyond then, it may take him time to adjust to the Premier League. But Man Utd seem confident they have got the right man to fill their void up front.

That said, it is obvious that Hojlund isn’t as high profile a player as previous targets such as Harry Kane. However, the Daily Telegraph has given the lowdown on why he was chosen instead of the England captain.

First and foremost, Kane was ultimately overlooked because Man Utd knew negotiations with Tottenham would be tough. Worried that it may have dragged on towards the transfer deadline, they didn’t want to risk starting the new season without having a new striker wrapped up.

The fact that Kane has reached the age of 30 also placed him outside Man Utd’s pool of profiles to target. Granted, an exception could have been made for someone who would have had an instant like Kane, but the combination of factors prevented Man Utd from going ahead.

But why was Hojlund the option they turned to?

Hojlund has convinced Ten Hag

According to the report, Erik ten Hag was struck by nine of the new striker’s traits: his personality, ambition, appetite, physique, pace, energy, hunger, ability to press, and ability to make runs in behind.

The manager – who held various video meetings with his new recruit before his transfer was completed – also believes Hojlund means business with his dedication to becoming one of the best strikers in the world. Now, it is up to the Dutch tactician to help him unlock his potential.

Once fit, Hojlund should share centre-forward duties for Man Utd with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, both of whom are equally accustomed to playing on the wing.

In the second half of last season, Wout Weghorst was Ten Hag’s target man, but he has not been kept on after his loan spell from Burnley.

Hojlund has filled the void on a contract until 2028 with the option of a further year. So far in his career, he has scored five goals for FC Copenhagen, 12 for Sturm Graz and 10 for Atalanta, as well as six for Denmark at international level.

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