Manchester United summer signing was cheap, he’s now worth £85m, according to new figures

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Manchester United took the long-term approach when it came to signing a striker in the summer.

When it comes to signing strikers, no club has a track record of signing players over 30 quite like Manchester United. From Edinson Cavani, to Odion Ighalo to Cristiano Ronaldo, the quick fixes have failed to provide a long term solution.

This past summer was a fork-in-the-road moment. Manchester United were posed with the choice to spend a huge fee on Harry Kane, 30, or a little less on Rasmus Hojlund, 20.

United chose Hojlund, and have seen a talented but raw and inconsistent striker arrive, rather than the ready-made proven option in Kane.

And there has been plenty of discontent and regret voiced that United could not sign Kane, who went to Bayern, despite the fact he could have run into the same issues as Hojlund, playing with wingers who don’t create chances.

Hojlund deal can pay off

Manchester United spent an initial £64 million on Rasmus Hojlund, a fee which could rise with incentives to £72 million.

According to The Athletic, this was closer to the Kane fee than the club would have liked. But United were thinking long-term.

Yes, in 2023/24, Harry Kane is the better striker. United were trying to gaze into the future, and take a punt on who will be more valuable in 2026/27.

According to a new study from the CIES Football Observatory, which calculates player transfer values, Manchester United signed Hojlund on the cheap.

How much Hojlund is really worth

Rasmus Hojlund’s true value, based on talent, contract length and potential, is calculated to be 99 million Euros, equating to £85.4 million.

Manchester United landed Hojlund at a discount, then, and we will have to see if he can live up to that valuation and even exceed it in the years ahead.

The assessment of his value was shared by Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini, who was quoted via The Sun back in the summer: “He can be worth even €100million (£86m), but the market value is uncertain.

“I hope the club will value Hojlund around €80m, €90m or €100m fee.

“There are strong players who struggle to find a place and other young players who reach certain figures, Hojlund is among the very best emerging players in Europe.”

As for Kane, he is valued at slightly less by the study, around £80 million, with his age expected to push his value down in the years to come.