“No-one knows who he is yet” - Rio Ferdinand explains how Manchester United star is under ‘huge pressure’ at Old Trafford

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Rasmus Hojlund is under massive pressure due to the fee he arrived for, and Erling Haaland's presence across the city.

United signed Hojlund from Atalanta last summer for a reported fee of around £64 million. The 20-year-old Dane is the only striker in a team and has had to learn on the job given that he arrived at Old Trafford after only one season in Europe's top five leagues.

Despite a bright UEFA Champions League campaign (five goals in six matches), he has struggled domestically. Hojlund has just two Premier League goals in 16 matches and three overall in 20 domestic outings.

He notably scored in Manchester United's latest match, a 4-2 FA Cup win over Newport County. However, of the team's 22 shots, that was the only shot he got away despite playing the entirety of the contest.

Ferdinand believes United need to find a way to get the ball more to Hojlund. He said on his VIBE with FIVE podcast (as quoted by United in Focus):

“No-one knows who he is yet, what he’s going to be. As he is the club’s No 9 now, they’ve got to really make sure they’re directing everything that’s going to get the best out of him.”

The former centre-back acknowledged that the forward will come under the scannerdue to his price tag. He added that the presence of Haaland, who hasn't played since October due to injury but remains atop the league scoring charts with 14 goals, also places pressure on Hojlund.

“He’s under huge pressure, imagine being him with Erling Haaland on the other side, still the top scorer but ain’t played for five weeks, sitting there chilling.

“And never mind the rest of the Premier League, the pressure all lies on the price he [comes] for. Surely, you’ve got to find a way to get the best out of him.”

Hojlund's next chance to improve his Premier League goal tally will come on Thursday (February 1) when Manchester United visit Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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Comparing Rasmus Hojlund's stats in the Premier League and Champions League for Manchester United

Many Manchester United fans and pundits have been surprised by the wide contrast in Rasmus Hojlund's fortunes in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

In the league, the Dane has averaged a mere 1.3 shots per game (0.6 on target) and has missed nine big chances. His goal conversion rate is only 10% and his expected goals (xG) figure is also fairly low at 3.17, while he has averaged 20.3 touches per game.

In the Champions League, Hojlund averaged only 1.8 shots per game but got 1.0 of those on target and missed only one big chance. He had a goal conversion rate of 35%, while overperforming his xG of 3.98 and recording 22.3 touches per game.

While the Champions League statistics are from a smaller sample size, Manchester United seemed to find Hojlund more often in those games. Some of this may be due to his positioning, but he has also not received the ball enough from his wingers or midfielders to make a difference.

Hojlund has also missed quite a few chances in the Premier League in comparison to hardly any in the Champions League.