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Arsenal and Real Madrid are reportedly scouting Atalanta sensation Rasmus Hojlund, who has taken Serie A by storm this season.
The 20-year-old striker is currently among the break-out young stars in Serie A after joining Atalanta last summer. La Dea paid a transfer fee in the region of €17 million to secure the services of the striker from Austrian club side Sturm Graz.
Hojlund has scored an impressive seven goals and provided one assist in 21 appearances across all competitions for Atalanta this season. Six of his seven strikes have come in Serie A.
As per La Repubblica, his impressive form has caught the attention of two European giants, Arsenal and Real Madrid, who are both monitoring him closely.
Madrid have identified Hojlund as one of their long-term transfer options to replace striker Karim Benzema. The Spanish giants are also committed to adding him to their growing list of star-studded young squads.
Los Blancos are reportedly drawing up options to take over from Benzema, who is currently 35 years old and approaching the twilight of his career.
However, Real Madrid will have to contend with Premier League side Arsenal, who are also keen on signing the Danish striker.
The Gunners, currently led by Mikel Arteta, have demonstrated their commitment to adding some of the best young talents to their squad. The north London club are also considering signing Hojlund by the end of the 2022-23 football campaign.
Atalanta head coach compares Arsenal and Real Madrid target to Erling Haaland
Italian tactician Gian Piero Gasperini has heaped praise on Serie A sensation Hojlund following his impressive performance this season.
The striker has scored six goals in the league for La Dea this season and is already attracting transfer interest from Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Speaking after their 2-0 victory against Lazio, head coach Gasperini went on to speak highly of goalscorer Hojlund. He also described the youngster as being similar to Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
In his words, as seen in Football Italia, he said:
“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland, not just his face."
He added:
"He's so quick, he’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard. Considering his height, he has a low center of gravity and can move his legs very fast. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he'll just get stronger every day.”
Hojlund has also earned two senior caps for the Denmark national team.
