Rasmus Hojlund determined to ‘fight’ for Man Utd spot despite Benjamin Sesko rumours

Chirag Sharatkumar

Rasmus Hojlund determined to ‘fight’ for Man Utd spot despite Benjamin Sesko rumours image

Rasmus Hojlund says he is fully committed to staying at Manchester United and fighting for his place, despite ongoing speculation over the club’s search for a new striker.

United have been linked with a number of forwards this summer, with their top priority reportedly being RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, though there have been links to Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson as well.

But Hojlund offered a timely reminder of his own talent in United’s 4-1 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League Summer Series on Wednesday (July 30).

The Dane scored the opener and thought he had added a second, though the goal was ultimately awarded to Amad Diallo.

The striker joined United from Atalanta in August 2023 and has since scored 26 goals in 95 appearances, ten of which came last season across 52 games.

The numbers on their own aren’t too poor, but Hojlund has failed to find any real sort of consistency in front of goal in the Premier League, which is a must-fix issue for United ahead of the upcoming season.

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

What did the United No. 9 say?

After United’s win, the Hojlund sought out the media to reiterate his desire to fight for his place at United.

“My plan is very clear,” he said. “That is for me to stay and fight for my spot, whatever happens.

“Competition is fine with me. It sharpens me. I'm more than ready. I'm feeling sharp, so I welcome everything that comes.”

Reflecting on last season, the 22-year-old acknowledged that the burden of leading the line came earlier than expected, especially after Anthony Martial’s injury troubles.

"When I came, Martial was there as well but he had a lot of injuries, so I obviously had to take a lot of the game time," he added.

“You're not going to tell me I shouldn't be playing because I want to play every game. But obviously I could have done with some help in terms of sharing the games a bit, especially in the beginning.”

Despite criticism of his Premier League goalscoring record, Hojlund believes he is still on the right track in his development.

“I'm still very young. People forget that sometimes,” he said. “I'm only 22. Not every striker scores 100 goals by that age.

“But I've learned a lot, I think you can see it in my game. I'm starting to develop and become even better in the basics.

“Last season was tough on us all. I should have done better, everybody knows. But it's also a team thing. We're going to be better now.

“We are progressing in the right way and looking forward to what's coming.”

United continue their pre-season campaign ahead of their Premier League opener against Arsenal on August 16.

Manchester United news and related links

Chirag Sharatkumar

Chirag Sharatkumar is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, with a focus on the Premier League, international football, and global fan culture. He also has extensive experience with the Stats Perform news agency and is a keen long-form sport and culture writer and storyteller. His work can be found on the pages of MUNDIAL Magazine and across various Substack platforms.