Serie A sensation Rasmus Vinther Hjlund, 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 attain not less than three targets within the Italian league this season. Within the 5 main European leagues, solely Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala is additional forward with a better tally of away targets (4) than Hjlund.
Hjlund’s footwork for the 6’3 striker 🇩🇰 ⚡️#sequence #AtalantaSamp #GoAtalantaGopic.twitter.com/2H3ROAJyq8
— Danish Football (@DanishFTBL) January 28, 2023
Last summer time, amid hype over the arrival of the ‘new Erling Haaland’, Atalanta acquired Hjalund’s companies for €17m. Standing at 1.91m/ /6’3″, his mixture of top, tempo and energy has been in comparison with City’s goal-scoring machine, and Højlund has already began to point out that he could be in nice kind What could be completed with and aim. Like Haaland, who’s 1.94 m/6’4″ tall and is of comparable Scandinavian descent, Højlund can also be quantity 9 and might play as a lone striker upfront.
This has led to him being intently monitored by a number of the high European golf equipment. AC Milan are reportedly focusing on him to spice up their attacking lineup. Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing a possible Haaland clone, in accordance with Sport.
As a toddler, Hojlund used to mimic Cristiano Ronaldo. “One day he told me he would copy Cristiano in everything, and he started exercising every night, even with the flu,” his father Anders recalled in an interview with Sportech. Anders’ first reminiscence of his son is enjoying with a seashore ball larger than him and the day he began kicking the ball. “There I knew he was left-handed,” Anders recalled.
A product of the Brøndby youth academy, Hjlund began as a youth participant at Boldklubben in 1893 earlier than becoming a member of Copenhagen in 2017, the place he hit the bottom operating throughout the 2020–21 season when he made his debut for the membership’s under-19 facet. Scored 15 targets in 22 matches. Side.
Austrian facet Sturm Graz purchased him from Danish membership FC Copenhagen in January 2022 for €1.9 million and in simply six months, his market worth skyrocketed. It was his switch to SK Sturm Graz that did wonders for him. His report for the Austrian membership was 12 targets in 21 video games in all competitions.
“I see similarities between myself and Erling Haaland,” Hjlund mentioned upon his arrival in Austria. “He is fast, left-footed, tall, can rating targets and is a wonderful finisher. His mindset can also be fully deranged.
One of Graz’s targets concerned a strike which noticed him transfer by the Salzburg backline earlier than firing an unstoppable left-footed shot the identical approach Haaland did.
Tirol defender Raphael Behonk, who marked Hojlund on his Graz debut, gave an perception into enjoying in opposition to him. Speaking to Laola1, he mentioned, “He shall be price each penny. He is the final word machine. When he has house, he’s laborious to defend.
When Atalanta signed Hjlund, he was a participant who scored or offered an help each 113 minutes throughout his time at Graz. Having settled in, Hjalund has been taking heart stage between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, scoring in his final 4 video games. This included a spectacular strike of their latest 5-2 Coppa Italia win over Spezia. Currently, in 24 video games (together with the Champions League), he has 11 targets and 5 assists.
Is 19-year-old Rasmus Hojlund the following Haaland? #seriesscouting pic.twitter.com/oHq53jGwIG
– Serie A Scout ⭐️🇮🇹 (@SerieAScout_) January 19, 2023
Atlanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken extremely of the teenager’s expertise. “The distinctive margin he has, the event he has had in latest months… he needed to get into the matches instantly. He is extremely beneficiant, has a need to attain outcomes. Technically he has the margin, within the air, he can do properly there as properly. He could possibly be a high striker of the longer term,” Gasperini mentioned.
Last month, in a match between Atalanta and Bologna, Hjalund scored a aim of the best caliber, bursting into house and dribbling effortlessly previous the goalkeeper.
Statistically, Hjlund is getting the numbers – his 6.42 touches per 90 minutes within the attacking third is sort of spectacular. His 8.40 progressive cross backs it up, and places him within the high 5 % of center-forwards.
Højlund was handed his full Denmark debut in September and was a part of the group that beat then world champions France 2–0 within the UEFA Nations League.
It stays to be seen whether or not he can have the identical impression as Haaland for membership in addition to nation.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
