Ruben Amorim's admission, Man Utd stars not passing to Rasmus Hojlund and squad concern

Manchester United have reportedly told Rasmus Hojlund to find a new club after splurging on Benjamin Sesko. The 22-year-old Danish striker has only managed to net 26 goals in two years for the Red Devils.

Ruben Amorim's squad has seen a significant boost this transfer window, with over £200million spent on Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and now athletic forward Sesko, whose £74m signing was announced last weekend. With such an influx of talent, it's inevitable that some players will be shown the door, and Hojlund seems to be one of them. Despite his pre-season declaration that he would stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, reports suggest a change of heart, with AC Milan rumoured to be interested in the striker. While his expected departure has only become apparent this summer, doubts about Hojlund's ability have been circulating for a while.

Hojlund joined Manchester United as a promising but raw talent from Serie A side Atalanta in 2023, and his hefty £72m price tag raised eyebrows from the start, given his modest tally of 10 goals for the Italian team. These concerns persisted as he struggled to find his feet under Erik ten Hag.

It took until December for Hojlund to score his first Premier League goal, fuelling further scepticism. As 2024 dawned, following a dry spell of just one goal in 10 matches, troubling whispers began to emerge from Old Trafford.

Reports emerged in May 2024 suggesting some of the striker's team-mates were hesitant to supply Hojlund with passes during matches, amid concerns over his clinical edge in front of goal. The club firmly refuted these claims.

While his maiden campaign yielded a respectable tally of 16 goals in all competitions, the following season witnessed a dramatic decline and diminished confidence from new manager Amorim. Hojlund managed merely four Premier League strikes as United finished in 15th.

The Danish forward remained defiant when pre-season commenced, vowing last month to battle for his spot at Old Trafford. However, following Sesko's acquisition, a revealing interview from United's head coach and a damning team selection delivered the final blow.

Sesko was unveiled to the club's supporters last Saturday ahead of a pre-season clash with Fiorentina, which concluded 1-1, with Amorim subsequently questioned about his new acquisition, delivering a brutal assessment regarding Hojlund.

"He has the characteristics that we needed," Amorim informed MUTV about Sesko, implying Hojlund lacks such qualities. "Ben is a player that, with all the information that we have, we need to stop the guy from working - it is not the opposite!

"That is also important. He is really young, he is good in the air, he is good running the channels and he is good on the ball, so I think he has great potential.

"I think he can improve a lot. For sure, he is going to feel at home in our club. He is the right character in this group so we are really, really happy to have him."

A further setback emerged regarding team selections. Despite new signing Sesko being unavailable, Amorim chose regular midfielder Mason Mount as a false nine rather than Hojlund.

This decision effectively indicated Hojlund's departure and exclusion from Amorim's future plans, with talkSPORT reporting that he has accepted a potential transfer after his pre-season appeal.

Milan appears the most probable destination, with suggestions that a fee around £30m could secure the deal. What seems virtually guaranteed is that Hojlund's torment at Old Trafford will shortly conclude, possibly for less than half his original transfer fee.