Man Utd may sign a “elite” £50 million opponent to Hojlund who plays like Ibrahimovic

In order to address the attacking issue, Erik ten Hag intends to add players to his roster in January.

When Manchester United plays Spurs on Sunday afternoon, they have the opportunity to start the season strong.

The Red Devils are currently ninth in the Premier League as a result of their inability to maintain any consistency since the summer.

Erik ten Hag will thus need to turn his attention to the transfer market in January in order to bolster his team.

Latest Man Utd transfers: Hojlund faces competition

Joshua Zirkzee is a striker that Man United is still interested in signing this summer, according to TEAMtalk, despite competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Bologna values the Dutch forward at over £50 million, and because Arsenal is expected to have a quiet month, it is believed United could have a strong chance to get the player.

Nevertheless, unless there are outgoings at the club initially, the Red Devils will find it difficult to finance the relocation coming January.

Zirkzee’s Compares To Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund only paid £72 million to join United in the summer, but he has had a difficult time adjusting to life in England thus far.

The Premier League has proved to be difficult to adapt to for the young Danish forward, as highlighted by his one goal in 15 appearances. However, that goal came in his most recent league game, which will temporarily lift the pressure off his shoulders.

But, Zirkzee, Hojlund’s possible opponent, has been on fire this season, and Ben Mattinson, a football commentator, has termed him “elite” for good reason. Operating as a lone centre forward in a 4-2-3-1, the 22-year-old has been the driving force behind Bologna’s improvement, tallying seven goals and dishing out two assists in 19 games.

Nonetheless, the table below shows how the two strikers compare based on stats from their respective leagues this season.

Zirkzee is 6 feet 4 inches tall, yet Ben Mattinson has compared him to Zlatan Ibrahimovic because of his exceptional athleticism and technical skill. The Bologna attacker has an elegance about him and, like the former United player, he wants to be involved in the play, as evidenced by his touches and passing statistics.

Hojlund, on the other hand, prefers to play on the periphery of the game and rarely shows up for the ball to feet unless it’s in or near the box.

The 20-year-old is clearly underperforming his xG while the former Bayern star is overperforming his, as evidenced by the goals per 90 ratio, which further demonstrates Zirkzee’s clinical approach and self-assurance.