Manchester United fans have been left stunned after discovering that Rasmus Hojlund can run 100 meters in less than 11 seconds.
The Dane is set to complete an €85million move to Old Trafford in the coming days after United finally reached an agreement with Atalanta. Although he scored just 10 goals for the Serie A side last season, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is confident he can be the solution to his attacking woes.
Part of that hope is likely to come from Hojlund’s blistering speed, which rivals that of the fastest strikers in the Premier League. His speed was discovered by Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini last season, with the Italian comparing him to Erling Haaland.
“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is simply extraordinary. He still has a lot of room for improvement. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland”, said Gasperini after a victory over Lazio in February.
“He’s very fast, he runs the 100m under 11 seconds and that’s without trying too hard. Considering his height, he has a low center of gravity and can move his feet very quickly. I’m sure he’ll have a great career, he’s just getting stronger every day.”
Those comments have now come back into focus, with United fans delighted to discover that the Ten Hag will now be able to field a speedy striker. One person said: “We are actually signing a supernatural athlete.”
A second added: “It really shows why (Erik ten Hag) said he wants to be the most lethal counter-attacking team in the world. The fans were horrified by this, but it is a quality in a fast team. So we can use Rashford and Hojlund in those moments. It will be fun to watch.”