Manchester United have been warned against listening to offers for Denmark international striker Rasmus Højlund, who is reportedly free to leave the club after they confirmed the signing of Benjamin Šeško.
Højlund was not helpful last season as Manchester United struggled to find the back of the net. The Dane, who arrived with much pomp and pageantry to Old Trafford and was hailed as United’s answer to Erling Haaland, was quite the passenger for the club. In the end, they finished in their lowest position ever and with a negative goal difference. This saw them fail to qualify for European football for the first time in a long while as well.
Ruben Amorim has already set out to rebuild the squad, letting go of a few players and signing a few more. One of those is Šeško, who, like Højlund, was one of the highly-rated young strikers in the world before the Dane first donned the colours of the Red Devils. He continues to be highly rated three years later and has now found himself wearing the historic shirt that represents Old Trafford.
This competition looks healthy for the Dane. However, from Amorim’s recent comments in the media and the pulse vibrating from Carrington, the former Atalanta man looks set for a future away from Old Trafford. This potential move has been kicked against by their former defender Mikael Silvestre, who played for United from 1999 to 2008.
Silvestre has insisted that United hold on to Højlund at all costs. “Marcus Rashford has gone and there are not a lot of strikers around,” Silvestre told Hajper, a sportsbook brand, during an interview. “Joshua Zirkzee is a different type of striker that doesn’t make those runs in behind the defence.
“He is another type of player for certain games, certain opposition. But no, you need competition, need quality, so I wouldn’t rush into sending Rasmus Højlund out on loan if Sesko signs. Absolutely not.”
Silvestre, however, praised his former club’s new acquisition, saying: “Benjamin Šeško is an upcoming talent and he’s got certain qualities that could fit into Ruben Amorim’s style of play. He’s got presence, height, he’s good with his back against the defenders. He’s got the athleticism to respond to the physicality of the Premier League. He’s ticking a lot of boxes for sure.”
United, meanwhile, have received a strong message from Fermin Lopez, who reaffirmed his decision to remain with Barcelona for the foreseeable future, despite their readiness to launch a £61 million bid for the Spaniard.
Lopez made the statement after his man-of-the-match performance in Barcelona’s pre-season victory over Como. “I want to stay here. It’s my dream and I will stay, I’m happy to help the team,” he said. “Many things have been said. But I am going to continue defending these colours and working as hard as anyone else, so that the Catalans are calm.”
