Christian Eriksen has told Denmark teammate and former Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund about life at Old Trafford after Man Utd sealed a £72million deal with the Dutch No. 9.
Eriksen has given his full support in backing Hojlund to fit into life at both Manchester United and in the Premier League ahead of his impending move to Old Trafford.
A fee of £64million was agreed to by United with Atalanta to sign the 20-year-old, with a further £8million in potential add-ons, and the striker will sign a five-year contract with the option for a further year once he has completed his medical.
The Dutch international scored nine goals in 32 Serie A appearances last season, and netted six times in as many games for Denmark. He arrives at United after spending just a year with Atalanta, who signed him from Sturm Graz for €17million a year ago.
Eriksen and Hojlund are teammates for Denmark with the former having been impressed by the speed of the latter’s development over the past year, particularly in the way he has emerged as a pure No. 9, with United desperate for someone to fill that role this summer.
“He’s a strong number nine,” Eriksen said when asked what Hojlund was like. “He’s developed a lot in the last year from when I first saw him with the national team (to) a year’s time, so, yeah, he’s a very good player.”
Hojlund impressively bagged a hat-trick in his third cap for Denmark in their 3-1 win against Finland in March and added two more only four days later against Kazakhstan. Besides that, he also scored twice in his final three games of the season for Atalanta, by which time United boss Erik ten Hag had already held video calls with him about throwing in his lot with United.
Paris Saint-Germain had also shown interest in him this summer, but the Ligue 1 side’s bid of €50million was rejected, Nonetheless, Hojlund had his heart already set on joining United and was kept under the radar until news of the interest from Old Trafford couldn’t be contained any longer and Eriksen attributes that to the fact that he is from Denmark.
“I suppose we don’t get enough media attention in Denmark that’s why, so people outside Denmark don’t know enough,” he said. “He’s a nice guy, he’s a good player. Like I said, he’s developed, turning into just a nine, which he’s played for the national team.
“I have to be honest I haven’t seen that many games for Atalanta, but I know how they play and he fitted in well there, so, yeah, he’s a good player.”
Eriksen admitted to having discussed life at Old Trafford in the last international break in June with Hojlund, joking that he told his teammate about the good and the bad of being at the club.
“I spoke to him when we were with the national team last time,” he said. “But of course, I’ve said a lot of good stuff – and also said some bad stuff – but in the end it’s what’s going to happen.”