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Hojlund a ‘Walmart Haaland’, have Man United ‘been conned’? – Fans question new rivalry

Written by Philip O'Rourke
Last Update: November 6, 2023
Published on

The acquisition of Rasums Hojlund for £72 million by Manchester United has sparked a torrent of comparisons to his Scandinavian and now Premier League rival, Erling Haaland.

Both sets of fans claim one is better than the other, with neither side being that complimentary of their rival's player.

While United fans will always feel Manchester City will be forever in their shadow, City fans are starting to grow in confidence and believe they are now the best club in town.

And it shows in their comments when it comes to comparing Hojlund to Haaland. In fact, some do not see any comparisons at all, with one fan being utterly dismissive of the idea.

 

Hojlund vs Haaland – new striker battle in Manchester?

United fans feel Hojlund will be clear of Haaland in the next two seasons, something that puts immediate pressure on the 20-year-old Danish striker, who only scored 9 goals in all competitions for Serie A club, Atalanta, compared to Haaland's 35 goals last season.

The conversation of how the two will compete against each other has brought into question the actual level of Hojlund, as he has not proven himself at Premier League level, yet, with some fans feeling that he should be compared to players like Arsenal striker, Nketiah, although this may be a tongue-in-cheek comment as they also tweeted that Balogun.

The other point of contention that has crept into the debate is the price tag of both players. While Haaland only cost City £55 million, a steal in today's current valuation of footballers, Hojlund cost considerably more and it has been highlighted by some City fans. At an estimated £85 million, some fans think United have paid over the odds for a mediocre player.

For some, it is not even a match up and comparisons are silly, with both players possessing different assets to their game. Hojlund is seen as a player who likes to dribble with the ball, and is more direct, while Haaland is a goal poacher, someone who scores goals for fun, with one touch.

In truth, the City fans seem unfazed by Hojlund's arrival at Old Trafford and have been making fun of their rival's comparisons, with one fan tweeting, ‘When you order Haaland from Jumia'

Will Hojlund get the goals needed to win Manchester United the title for the first time in ten years? Some fans do not think he will get 10 all season, although some have defended him by saying he is not ‘A tap-in merchant', which seemed like a shot at Haaland as well.

Hojlund a ‘Walmart Haaland’, have Man United ‘been conned’? – Fans question new rivalry

Philip O'Rourke

Philip O Rourke is a Dublin-based journalist and author of Forgotten Football Clubs, 50 Clubs Around the World. He appears on the Forgotten Football Clubs podcast and, in his spare time, travels around Europe to different football stadiums, trying to watch as many different clubs as he can.

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