Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund this summer. The 20-year-old could solve the club’s problems upfront and he is being pursued by multiple clubs, including Manchester United and Arsenal. Atalanta is expected to demand £60m for Hojlund’s services in the transfer window.
Chelsea’s dire need for a new striker has become even more clear after seeing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ostracized from the team. Additionally, Kai Havertz has not lived up to expectations upfront despite leading the goalscoring charts at the club with just seven strikes in the Premier League.
Atalanta’s chairman, Antonio Percassi, paid a visit to Stamford Bridge for the Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund, and Hojlund was likely a topic of discussion. This visit further fuels rumors that the Denmark international could join Chelsea next season.
However, Chelsea may find it difficult to secure Hojlund because the club is not offering European football. Nonetheless, if Todd Boehly is willing to spend the necessary funds and make Hojlund the main man, the Danish wonderkid could be on his way to Stamford Bridge.
Hojlund’s impressive performances for Atalanta this season suggest that he could be the answer to Chelsea’s lack of goals. In eight appearances for Sturm Graz, he recorded six goals and three assists before earning a move to Serie A. Since then, Hojlund has been a regular in Gian Piero Gasperini’s team, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 28 appearances.
The youngster’s success has earned him a call-up to the Denmark national team and he has already scored five goals in four caps. Gasperini praised his young striker and even compared him to Manchester City’s superstar Erling Haaland.
“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable,” Gasperini said. “He still has so much margin for improvement too. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland. I am convinced he’ll have a great career; he just gets stronger every day.”
As Hojlund’s reputation continues to grow, Chelsea may want to act quickly to secure him before his price tag increases any further. If he can have even half the impact that Haaland has had at City this season, he would surely prove to be a valuable addition to Chelsea’s attack.
