Man Utd are brewing Hojlund's replacement in the academy & it's not Obi

Oh to be Rasmus Hojlund. Manchester United‘s number nine can hardly buy a goal these days, with the struggling Dane failing to build on a promising debut campaign in which he finished as the club’s leading scorer in all competitions.

The 22-year-old had initially looked to have revived his confidence prior to the international break after winning a penalty and registering an assist against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, before breaking his 21-game duck in the 3-0 win over Leicester City.

That was followed by the ex-Atalanta starlet also netting for his country against Portugal, albeit with Ruben Amorim then taking the decision to drop the £64m man to the bench for the trip to face Nottingham Forest last week.

Having subsequently been reinstated to the starting lineup against Manchester City at the weekend, the 6 foot 4 speedster simply wilted once again, while notably registering just two touches in the opposition half during the opening 45 minutes.

Such woes – which have seen Hojlund score just three Premier League goals this season – have highlighted the need for a suitable replacement, be it with the addition of a new signing, or buy promoting a young talent in-house.

How Man Utd can replace Rasmus Hojlund

With the Red Devils in action against Lyon on Thursday night, Amorim may persist with Hojlund, considering his record in the competition, with the £85k-per-week marksman having netted five times on the continent this season.

That said, the Portuguese coach may also be inclined to reinstate Joshua Zirkzee through the middle, despite the Dutchman’s typical role in a number ten berth, with the former Bologna man at least making an impact last time out after drawing a fine save from Ederson late on.

Like Hojlund, however, the £36.5m signing has only scored three league goals in 2024/25 – and just six in total across all fronts – with Amorim perhaps ruing the fact that 17-year-old superstar, Chido Obi, is ineligible to feature in Europe, having been left off the club’s Europe League ‘A’ list.

That omission came amid the belief that Obi – who signed from Arsenal last summer – was not yet ready for senior involvement, albeit with the woes of Hojlund subsequently seeing him parachuted into the first-team ranks, having made four substitute appearances to date.

While the Danish teenager has looked lively in those brief cameos – not least against Fulham in the FA Cup, in which he twice came close to scoring – he is still waiting to get off the mark under Amorim’s watch.

There is undoubted hype surrounding a player who notably scored seven times in United’s FA Youth Cup run, although Obi isn’t the only eye-catching striker that the Red Devils are currently brewing at Carrington.

Man Utd’s in-house Hojlund replacement

Obi – who holds the record for the most goals scored at U18 Premier League level – continues to excite those of a United persuasion, although he isn’t the only teenager centre-forward to have stolen the headlines of late.

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Indeed, Adam Lawrence’s U18 side notably romped to a stunning 13-1 victory over rivals Leeds United at the weekend, with 18-year-old, Victor Musa, bagging six goals in the first half amid that devastating rout.

Captaining the side on the day, the Spain-born England youth international led the line superbly after putting in a simply prolific showing through the middle, proving himself to be a real handful for the visiting backline.

A towering left-footer – in a similar mould to Hojlund – Musa showed the full array of his finishing prowess on the day, having chalked up a handful of finishes on the rebound, while regularly cutting in off the right flank to devastating effect.

The pick of the bunch was arguably the teenager’s fourth goal, as he worked his way into a central position from the right wing, before curling home a delightful effort into the far corner, having also produced a stunning finish into the roof of the net for his fifth of the game. Even the striker’s sixth goal was a strike to enjoy, as he took the ball down expertly on his chest, before lashing home from close range.

While hampered by injury last year, Musa – as was evident against Leeds – has returned with a bang in recent times, having now scored 11 goals in just 14 games in the U18 Premier League, while contributing a further three assists.

First-team involvement may not have come his way just yet, but after putting in such a statement performance, it won’t be long before he simply proves too hard to ignore for Amorim and his coaching staff.