Atalanta, two Manchester United stars not enough: Hojlund won’t budge

International-level profiles are not enough to wrest Dea’s yes.

Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United will not happen, at least for the time being. In fact, barricades are being raised at Atalanta before letting the Danish starlet leave. That he will leave Bergamo not only in the presence of certain economic conditions, but also in the face of an offer that presents only the value of his tag in cash, and no quid pro quo.

This is what emerges according to what is reported by ‘The Athletic’. Here, in fact, it is stated that in order to get to Hojlund, Manchester United would have offered Atalanta one between Donny van de Beek and Fred, both midfielders with strong offensive doses. On the part of the Orobic management, however, would have come a dry and round “no” for both.

One should certainly not forget the value of the two players Manchester United would put on the plate: Donny van de Beek, a 1997-born trequartista, played at a high level for five years at Ajax before moving to the Premier League. More experienced Fred, who was born in 1993 and has been playing in a Red Devils shirt since way back in 2018. Two World Cup call-ups for him as well, although he remained only on the bench in 2018 (he was instead employed three times in 2022).

Atalanta took over Hojlund from Sturm Graz just last summer, paying him 17 million. Now, a season later, it intends to deprive itself of him only on its own terms. According to rumors a few days ago, however, Manchester United itself had prepared a $46 million bid. Dea, however, had barred the way: it is not willing to deprive itself of the 2003-class bomber for a sum less than 60 million euros.