Serie A sensation Rasmus Winther Højlund, who performs for Atalanta, is drawing parallels with Manchester Metropolis star Erling Haaland. The teen turned 20 final Saturday and is the youngest international participant to have scored not less than three away targets within the Italian league this season. Throughout the 5 main European leagues, solely Bayern Münich’s Jamal Musiala is forward with the next tally of away targets (4) than Højlund.
Højlund’s footwork for a 6’3 striker 🇩🇰⚡️#SerieA #AtalantaSamp #GoAtalantaGopic.twitter.com/2H3ROAJyq8
— Danish Soccer (@DanishFTBL) January 28, 2023
Final summer time, amidst the hype of the arrival of ‘new Erling Haaland’, Atalana secured Højlund’s companies for €17m. Standing at 1.91m/ /6’3″ tall, his mixture of top, tempo, and energy has seen comparisons to Metropolis’s goal-scoring machine, and Hojlund has already began to indicate simply what he can do with a spectacular run of type and targets. Like Haaland, who’s 1.94 m/6’4″ tall and has an identical Scandinavian descent, Hojlund can also be a No.9 and may play as a lone striker upfront.
This has led to a number of the prime European golf equipment conserving a eager eye on him. AC Milan are reportedly concentrating on him to spice up their attacking lineup. In line with the Sport, Actual Madrid are reportedly conserving a tab on the potential Haaland clone.
As a toddler, Hojlund used to mimic Cristiano Ronaldo. “Sooner or later he advised me that he would imitate Cristiano in every thing, and he began exercising each evening, even with the flu,” his father Anders recalled in an interview with Sportek. The primary reminiscence Anders has of his son is the infant enjoying with a seaside ball larger than him and that day he began kicking the ball. “There I knew he was left-handed,” recalled Anders.
A product of the Brondby youth academy, Højlund began as a teen at Boldklubben in 1893 earlier than becoming a member of Copenhagen in 2017, the place he lastly hit the bottom working throughout the 2020-21 season when he scored 15 targets in 22 video games for the membership’s U-19 facet.
Austrian facet Sturm Graz then bought him for €1.9m from Danish membership FC Copenhagen in January 2022, and in simply six months, his market worth soared excessive. It was his switch to SK Sturm Graz that did wonders for him. His file on the Austrian membership was an attention-grabbing 12 targets in 21 video games throughout all competitions.
“I see parallels between myself and Erling Haaland,” Hojlund had stated upon his arrival in Austria. “He’s quick, left-footed, tall, has an excellent nostril for aim, and is an aesthetic finisher. His mentality can also be utterly insane,” he had added.
One of many targets for Graz included a strike that noticed him drive ahead by the Salzburg backline earlier than firing residence an unstoppable left-footed shot, a lot in the best way Haaland had performed.
Raffael Behounek, the Tirol defender who marked Hojlund on his Graz debut, gave an perception into enjoying towards him. Chatting with Laola1, he stated, “He will probably be price each penny. He’s an absolute machine. When he has house, he’s powerful to defend towards.”
When Atalanta signed Højlund, he was a participant who both scored a aim or supplied an help each 113 minutes throughout his time in Graz. After settling in, Hojlund is taking centre stage, scoring in his final 4 video games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia. That included a spectacular strike within the current 5-2 Coppa Italia victory over Spezia. Presently, in 24 video games (together with the Champions League), he has 11 targets and 5 assists.
Is nineteen y/o Rasmus Hojlund the subsequent Haaland? #SerieAScouting pic.twitter.com/oHq53jGwIG
— Serie A Scout ⭐️🇮🇹 (@SerieAScout_) January 19, 2023
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken extremely of the teen’s expertise. “He has extraordinary margins, the evolution he’s had in current months… He needed to get into matches straight away. He’s extremely beneficiant, he has the need to attain outcomes. Technically he has margins, within the air, he can do effectively there too given his stature. He could be a prime future striker,” Gasperini stated.
Final month, in a match between Atalanta and Bologna, Højlund scored a aim of the best calibre as he exploded into house and dinked the goalkeeper effortlessly.
Statistically, Højlund is getting the numbers – his 6.42 touches per 90 minutes within the attacking third is sort of spectacular. His 8.40 obtained progressive passes again this up, and place him within the prime 5 per cent of centre-forwards.
Hojlund was handed his full Denmark debut in September and was a part of the group that beat then-world champions France 2-0 within the UEFA Nations League.
It stays to be seen whether or not he has the identical affect for membership in addition to nation as Haaland.