Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will copy Jürgen Klopp’s Darwin Núñez plan in two ways with his new signing, young striker $92 million Rasmus Højlund.
Before last summer’s transfer window, Manchester United’s main attacking target was indeed Benfica’s Darwin Núñez, but the Uruguayan opted to join Liverpool instead.
When the Reds learned that Núñez wanted to move to Anfield, they turned their attention to other targets rather than engaging in what could be a futile bidding war (via Goal).
In the end, they invested heavily in Ajax’s Antony, but after 12 months the need for a new centre-back was stronger than ever.
Cristiano Ronaldo leaves after contract expires, Wout Weghorst’s forgettable loan spell comes to an end and Anthony Martial’s injury continues, making the reborn Marcus Rashford the club’s only reliable option .
Ultimately, United decided to fill the void in their squad, agreeing a $92m (£72m/€84m) deal for 20-year-old Atalanta striker Rasmus Højlund following a long pursuit (via Sky Sports).
Højlund is expected to undergo a medical in the UK, after which he will officially sign an initial five-year contract with a sixth person option.
According to The Athletic, Manchester United staff decided even before the deal was agreed that Højlund would not necessarily automatically start in his first season at Old Trafford, as he was still eligible. considered a “diamond in the rough” at this stage. Instead, Erik ten Hag’s plan will be to alternate him in and out of the team as he adapts and develops. There are clear echoes of Jürgen Klopp’s approach here with Núñez, who started just 19 of the 29 Premier League games he featured in last season. It’s not clear if that was always the idea or Klopp downsized things after discovering how crude Núñez was, but the result was the same.
The aforementioned report also said that Manchester United have considered the possibility of placing Rashford in the center and Højlund on the left wing, although he does not really have experience in this position.
Again, this would be similar to Núñez’s first campaign, when he scored 27 appearances at centre-back, but also made a significant number (15) of appearances on the left flank. The difference is that he got a taste of the role at his old club.
In a sense, Manchester United are therefore mimicking Liverpool’s strategy, but they may not achieve the same lasting results.
The two clubs paid the same fee up front – $82m (£64m/€75m) – and while the extra outlay could take Liverpool’s spending up to $109m (£85m). ) million pounds/99 million euros), the Red Devils will be confident that their signature brand number nine has a higher ceiling.
Højlund arrived in Manchester having scored just 27 goals in 72 appearances, and despite developing a few years earlier than Núñez, that makes the fifth-highest investment in United history, riskier.
Indeed, the second player to arrive at Merseyside after a devastating 34-goal campaign with Benfica has certainly established his elite qualifications and surpassed Højlund’s career track record.
If Manchester United’s latest bet backfires and Núñez takes the expected step forward into his second season, then perhaps he will have to ruin his failure to sign him in 2022.
