Christian Eriksen has told Denmark teammate and former Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund about life at Old Trafford after Man Utd sealed a \u00a372million deal with the Dutch No. 9.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A fee of \u00a364million was agreed to by United with Atalanta to sign the 20-year-old, with a further \u00a38million 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u20ac17million a year ago.<\/p>\n
Eriksen and Hojlund are teammates for Denmark with the former having been impressed by the speed of the latter\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
“He\u2019s a strong number nine,” Eriksen said when asked what Hojlund was like. \u201cHe\u2019s developed a lot in the last year from when I first saw him with the national team (to) a year\u2019s time, so, yeah, he\u2019s a very good player.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Paris Saint-Germain had also shown interest in him this summer, but the Ligue 1 side\u2019s bid of \u20ac50million 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose we don\u2019t get enough media attention in Denmark that\u2019s why, so people outside Denmark don\u2019t know enough,” he said. \u201cHe\u2019s a nice guy, he\u2019s a good player. Like I said, he\u2019s developed, turning into just a nine, which he\u2019s played for the national team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to be honest I haven\u2019t seen that many games for Atalanta, but I know how they play and he fitted in well there, so, yeah, he\u2019s a good player.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to him when we were with the national team last time,” he said. \u201cBut of course, I\u2019ve said a lot of good stuff \u2013 and also said some bad stuff \u2013 but in the end it\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
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