Arsenal reportedly want to sign Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund who has been praised for his unbelievable pace....CONTINUE READING
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to The Athletic about the young Danish striker.
He praised the 20-year-old who has had to step up and become the Italian club’s first-choice striker almost immediately after joining from Sturm Graz.
He’s stepped up to the task, scoring eight goals this season in 30 appearances.
Although he’s not been particularly prolific, his movement off the ball, dribbling and hold-up play in dangerous areas make him a difficult striker to deal with.
Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Rasmus Hojlund this summer.
A £60m price tag has been suggested, with Atalanta likely hoping for a bidding war to break out if they do decide he’s available.
Chelsea are also interested in Hojlund and Newcastle are looking at the youngster after qualifying for the Champions League.
He’s already scored five goals in four senior international appearances for Denmark.
Hojlund could be the next Scandinavian striker to take the Premier League by storm very soon.
Arsenal want to sign lightning-fast Hojlund
Gasperini was asked about the 20-year-old and said: “He has very similar characteristics to (Erling) 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.”
“He has very important qualities and he has demonstrated them.
“He is very young and he must not think that he has nothing more to learn. The stairs to improve are endless, he must not lose humility and mentality.”
If Arsenal were to sign Hojlund, he would be the perfect backup to Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian has shown how good he is at getting involved in the team’s build-up play in deeper areas.
However, he’s not scored as many goals as he would have liked since his long injury lay-off.
Hojlund is exactly the sort of striker defenders would hate to see come off the bench as they start to tire.
He can make runs through the lines that put pressure on offside traps and would be a very different option to what Arsenal currently have.
The only question is whether Arsenal want to part with that much money on a forward when they have other priorities.
