Premier League giants Arsenal and Newcastle United are watching Rasmus Hojlund and the Atalanta striker has more to his game than Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, analyst Mike Grella tells CBS Sports.
Haaland may be a goalscorer and little else but what a goalscorer. We are only into the first week of March and the former Borussia Dortmund talisman has already scored more times than the legendary Sergio Aguero did in any of his Premier League seasons.
OK, Man City may not be quite so fluid or so unpredictable with the Norwegian number nine spearheading their attack. But any criticism of Haaland’s impact must be contextualised by a frankly cartoonish tally of 33 goals in 33 games.
Fellow Scandinavian and near-namesake Hojlund, in contrast, has just 13 in 30 games. That is still a more-than impressive tally for a 20-year-old very few had heard off six months ago, of course; Hojlund helping Atalanta move on from veteran Duvan Zapata while attracting admiring glances from Arsenal, Newcastle United and more.
The Chronicle say that Newcastle chief Steve Nickson is keeping tabs. The Gunners too, via La Repubblica.
Hojlund may lack Haaland’s relentless productivity. But, according to Grella, he more than makes up for that with a greater all-round game.
Arsenal and Newcastle United like Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund
“I will take the comparison with Haaland very lightly, because he is one of the best. There is also a slight difference between them, which speaks in Hojlund’s favour,” says the former Brentford and Leeds United man.
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“He can do more than Haaland. Haaland is more the type who duels with the centre-backs and just scores lots of goals.
“Hojlund can dribble past an opponent. He can keep the ball better. Hojlund can better help the team on the edge (of the penalty box) or deeper in the pitch.”
According to Calciomercato, Hojlund’s price-tag has risen to around £45 million just a few months after joining Atalanta from Sturm Graz; making his name in Austria, just like a certain former Red Bull Salzburg superkid.
“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable,” beams La Dea coach Gian Piero Gasperini of his so-called ‘young Zlatan Ibrahimovic’.
“He still has so much margin for improvement, too. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland. Not just his face! He is so quick. He’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard.
“Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity and can move his legs very fast. I am convinced he’ll have a great career. He just gets stronger every day.”
In other news, ‘A potential move’: Pundit says 24-year-old should be joining Leeds if they stay up
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