Serie A sensation Rasmus Winther Højlund, who performs for Atalanta, is drawing parallels with Manchester City star Erling Haaland. The teenager turned 20 final Saturday and is the youngest overseas participant to have scored not less than three away objectives within the Italian league this season. Within the 5 main European leagues, solely Bayern Münich’s Jamal Musiala is forward with a better tally of away objectives (4) than Højlund.
Højlund’s footwork for a 6’3 striker 🇩🇰⚡️#SerieA #AtalantaSamp #GoAtalantaGopic.twitter.com/2H3ROAJyq8
— Danish Football (@DanishFTBL) January 28, 2023
Last summer season, amidst the hype of the arrival of ‘new Erling Haaland’, Atalana secured Højlund’s providers for €17m. Standing at 1.91m/ /6’3″ tall, his mixture of top, tempo, and energy has seen comparisons to City’s goal-scoring machine, and Hojlund has already began to point out simply what he can do with a spectacular run of kind and objectives. Like Haaland, who’s 1.94 m/6’4″ tall and has an analogous Scandinavian descent, Hojlund can be a No.9 and might play as a lone striker upfront.
This has led to a number of the high European golf equipment protecting a eager eye on him. AC Milan are reportedly focusing on him to spice up their attacking lineup. According to the Sport, Real Madrid are reportedly protecting a tab on the potential Haaland clone.
As a toddler, Hojlund used to mimic Cristiano Ronaldo. “One day he told me that he would imitate Cristiano in everything, and he started exercising every night, even with the flu,” his father Anders recalled in an interview with Sportek. The first reminiscence Anders has of his son is the baby 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 teenager at Boldklubben in 1893 earlier than becoming a member of Copenhagen in 2017, the place he lastly hit the bottom working in the course of the 2020-21 season when he scored 15 objectives in 22 video games for the membership’s U-19 aspect.
Austrian aspect 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 eye catching 12 objectives in 21 video games throughout all competitions.
“I see parallels between myself and Erling Haaland,” Hojlund had stated upon his arrival in Austria. “He is fast, left-footed, tall, has a good nose for goal, and is a classy finisher. His mentality is also completely insane,” he had added.
One of the objectives for Graz included a strike that noticed him drive ahead by way of the Salzburg backline earlier than firing house an unstoppable left-footed shot, a lot in the best way Haaland had achieved.
Raffael Behounek, the Tirol defender who marked Hojlund on his Graz debut, gave an perception into enjoying towards him. Speaking to Laola1, he stated, “He will be worth every penny. He is an absolute machine. When he has space, he is tough to defend against.”
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 latest 5-2 Coppa Italia victory over Spezia. Currently, in 24 video games (together with the Champions League), he has 11 objectives and 5 assists.
Is 19 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 teenager’s expertise. “He has extraordinary margins, the evolution he’s had in recent months… He had to get into matches right away. He’s incredibly generous, he has the desire to achieve results. Technically he has margins, in the air, he can do well there too given his stature. He can be a top future striker,” Gasperini stated.
Last month, in a match between Atalanta and Bologna, Højlund scored a aim of the best calibre as he exploded into area 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 acquired progressive passes again this up, and place him within the high 5 per cent of centre-forwards.
Hojlund was handed his full Denmark debut in September and was a part of the workforce 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 influence for membership in addition to nation as Haaland.
