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Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United has seemed like one of those transfers that are destined to happen.
At least, that’s what it looked like before Paris Saint-Germain came into the picture and put a bid in after “positive” personal talks.
Although United are still favourites to secure the deal, and PSG have said they will walk away if Atalanta’s valuation is unrealistic, the fact is that the Parisiens can never be counted out with the financial might they have.
However, even if PSG’s offer to the Dane blows United’s out of the water, an unlikely scenario, choosing Old Trafford over the Ligue 1 champions is a no-brainer choice for the striking prodigy.
Here are a few reasons why-
Home of dysfunction vs Team in ascendance
To say that PSG are currently in a dysfunctional state would be a mild summary of things. The face of the project, Kylian Mbappe has been frozen out after his reluctance to sign a new contract. Manager Luis Enrique is reportedly at odds with Nasser Al-Khelaifi over the stern stand on Mbappe.
Neymar’s contract hangs like an albatross around the neck while seasoned professionals like Marco Verratti are on their way out.
On the other hand, things couldn’t be more ideal for Hojlund at Man United.
Erik ten Hag is creating a formidable spine for the team who have improved massively after reaching top-4 last season. There is a proper mix of youngsters, veterans, and players at the peak of their careers, all driven along by a manager who has a clear style of play and ambition.
The takeover process has cast a cloud over the club but the transfer window so far is an indication that it hasn’t stopped the club from moving forward.
A stable playing environment is paramount, especially for a youngster with just one season of a top-5 league experience under his belt.
United provide that right now, far more than PSG.
Importance to the team
Rasmus Hojlund will come in at 20 years old and will be immediately installed as the first-choice striker at Man United. While that is a status that brings with it pressure, it’s of the good kind.
Furthermore, even if he falters initially, United have Rashford and Martial to take up the mantle for him as he develops under the radar. Ten Hag has managed young prospects masterfully so far which Hojlund can take a lot of confidence from.
At PSG, even keeping the Mbappe soap opera aside, which would alter the balance of the side drastically depending upon him staying or leaving, Hojlund just wouldn’t get the rope he’ll receive at United.
The striker’s job at PSG, be it Mauro Icardi or Edinson Cavani, has always been to supplement the performance of bigger names on the wing, like Mbappe and Neymar
Hojlund will be a cog in the wheel at PSG who are directionless at the moment under a new manager.
Ligue 1 vs Premier League
The headline speaks for itself. Premier League is the more prestigious league, with a higher co-efficient, where Hojlund will be making his presence felt in front of million.
Mbappe realised soon that winning domestic silverware away from the casuals’ eye in France won’t help his ascent to superstardom, into the stratosphere of the peak of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Hojlund will have already seen how Haaland’s profile has skyrocketed after repeating his Borussia Dortmund heroics at Manchester City.
Hojlund wouldn’t even need to get anywhere close to that numbers. The gravitas of the Man United shirt, the prestige of the Premier League, and the media frenzy that surrounds the club will ensure that if he succeeds, he’ll instantly be one of the more known players in world football.
A dream come true
It has been reported many times that Hojlund considers Manchester United as his dream club. It is why agreeing personal terms with the player wasn’t an issue for the club.
If he were to take PSG’s offer right now, that would be the end of the dream for now, and maybe in the future as well, considering how Mbappe is being treated for running his contract down.
The fit, the circumstances, the club, and the narrative couldn’t be more perfect. A boyhood Man United fan rocks up to Old Trafford and fills the glaring No 9 hole to complete the team and lead the project to bring his club back to the top. That’s immortality in the waiting.
