Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United fans to give new signing Rasmus Hojlund time to adjust to life at Old Trafford.
The Denmark international had enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since making his senior debut late in 2020. He joined Austrian side Sturm Graz for under £2m in January 2022 and sealed a £14m switch to Atalanta just six months later, and Hojlund has now moved to Old Trafford in a deal which could be worth up to £72m if all add-ons are met.
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag had been desperate for more firepower in attack and now appears set to put plenty of faith in a player who has just 87 senior club appearances to his name.
Speaking exclusively to 90min, TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand insisted he has long been impressed by Hojlund but admitted fans will need to be patient while the striker finds his feet in the Premier League.
"I mentioned him maybe six months or eight months ago, I saw glimpses of him at Atalanta," Ferdinand said. "There were elements of his game you could see were Premier League - mobility, pace, direct, can finish, aggressive, young, hungry - but I didn't see that price tag. That's that English, Man Utd price tag.
"I think he was very high on Man Utd's list anyway - I think Harry Kane would have obviously stood out from the rest, like you'd expect - but this kid would be in the next one or two they were looking at.
"You don't want to put the pressure on the kid, but you're Man Utd's number nine now. Whatever we say doesn't matter, there's pressure. I'm just hoping that he hits the ground, gets some confidence early and doesn't get knocked off his stride.
"You've got to allow these young boys grace. I think [Darwin] Nunez from Liverpool is a great example. Last season, wasn't the player that we saw at Benfica or expected, but I'm expecting more from him this season."
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United had long been keen to land Kane from Tottenham and the Englishman could still be on the move this summer after Bayern Munich lodged a club-record bid worth €100m (£86.5m) for the 30-year-old.
Despite Kane's potential availability, Ferdinand insists United were right to steer away from the Tottenham striker due to the added complications that come with dealing with a Premier League rival.
"I just don't think that Man Utd were ever going to be able to get him," he said. "I think there's one price for Manchester United and one price for someone like Bayern Munich or outside of the Premier League. I think if he was available, Man Utd would've gone to get him.
"In terms of a financial package, it doesn't make sense for Man Utd when they're going to get priced up so high on a player who has no re-sell value. They've done that continuously over the last few years and it hasn't worked out.
"I don't think Man Utd wanted to get drawn into a long, ongoing, drawn-out saga again. I think they wanted to stay clear of that."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Rio Ferdinand calls for patience for Rasmus Hojlund after Man Utd transfer.
