𝙃𝙤𝙟𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙣 𝙐𝙩𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙨

Horror stats show Rasmus Hojlund has had less shots at goal than Casemiro, Virgil van Dijk & Gabriel Magalhaes as his Man Utd struggles are laid bare

Rasmus Hojlund’s toils as the main striker at Manchester United have been laid bare by a damning statistic as the club consider alternatives.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Throughout this second disappointing season at Old Trafford, Hojlund has struggled to get into games and assert himself against opposition defences. In 22 league appearances so far, the Dane has scored just two goals and not registered a single assist. He is yet to score this calendar year and time appears to be running out for the 22-year-old to make his mark at the Red Devils. His lack of goals can be partly explained by his lack of shots – he has taken just 13 shots (excluding blocks) in the league this season.

Ruben Amorim has pointed to a lack of chances being created, but by comparison, Bruno Fernandes leads United’s shot count with 44, while Mohamed Salah is top of the Premier League standings with 84. Other centre-forwards, including Raul Jimenez, Ollie Watkins and Nicolas Jackson all have over 50 each, while Alexander Isak, Yoane Wissa and Kai Havertz have over 40 each. Even the likes of Virgil van Dijk (17), Wilfred Ndidi (17), Casemiro (16), Fabian Schar (16) and Gabriel Magalhaes (15) have more, while another United team-mate, Matthijs de Ligt, has attempted the same amount (13).

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MAN UTD TOTAL SHOTS (PREMIER LEAGUE)

Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho aside, United are clearly not having enough shots at goal.

Player
Total shots

Bruno Fernandes
44

Alejandro Garnacho
40

Amad Diallo
22

Joshua Zirkzee
16

Casemiro
16

Diogo Dalot
15

Matthijs de Ligt
13

Rasmus Hojlund
13

Lisandro Martinez
11

Marcus Rashford
11

Harry Maguire
7

Manuel Ugarte
5

Antony
5

Noussair Mazraoui
5

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Hojlund joined the club in the summer of 2023 for a reported £72 million ($92m) from Serie A side Atalanta. Despite fans expecting an immediate impact from the big-money signing, the Dane took time to finally score his first goal and has struggled to lead the line effectively. Even under the guidance of a new boss in Ruben Amorim, Hojlund has looked out of place as the sole number nine in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system. His failure to improve this season is underscored further by the bleak statistic.

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DID YOU KNOW?

United are reportedly already considering replacing Hojlund in the next transfer window. It’s ben rumoured that the Red Devils are plotting a move for Napoli’s exiled striker Victor Osimhen, currently on-loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray, and believe they need an upgrade on the Dane if they are to surge back up the Premier League. Amorim has suggested his players’ struggles are partly due to their own mindset and Hojlund has serious work to do if he is to regain confidence in front of goal and take more shots.

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WHAT NEXT FOR HOJLUND?

After becoming an FA Cup winner last season, Hojlund will be determined to lift yet another trophy with United and get himself back on track with an upturn in form. The Red Devils continue their FA Cup defence against Fulham on Sunday, although it’s unclear if Amorim will stick with the Dane in attack.