"My idol is Ronaldo" - When Rasmus Hojlund opened up on his admiration for Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo

Rasmus Hojlund's admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo has resurfaced as the Danish striker edges closer to a switch to Manchester United. As reported by Sky Sports, Erik ten Hag's side have reached a deal in principle with Atalanta for Hojlund's signature.

Hojlund, one of the most coveted young strikers in Europe at the moment, looks set to join Manchester United in a deal worth £64 million with a further £8m in add-ons. The Danish sensation previously claimed that he is a huge fan of Red Devils icon Cristiano Ronaldo.

In an interview with Atalanta's official YouTube channel, Rasmus Hojlund claimed that he has been a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo since his first stint with Manchester United. The 20-year-old lavished praise on Ronaldo's mentality and ability to find the back of the net. He said, as quoted by The CR7 Timeline:

"My idol is Ronaldo. My father introduced me to him in United and I followed him to Real Madrid. I just like his mentality and love that he's so eager to score goals. He's so passionate about wanting to be the best."

Manchester United are set to welcome Rasmus Hojlund as their third signing of the summer, following the acquisitions of Mason Mount and Andre Onana. Fans will hope that the Dane can be the answer to the Red Devils' glaring issues up front.

The Red Devils were largely dependent on Marcus Rashford for goals last season as the Englishman scored 30 goals in 56 games across competitions. Cristiano Ronaldo's departure in January left a major void up front that neither Anthony Martial nor Wout Weghorst managed to fill.

Hojlund joined Atalanta last year in August in a deal worth €17 million from Austrian side Sturm Graz. The Danish attacker scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 34 games across competitions for Atalanta last season. Capped six times for Denmark so far, Hojlund has scored six times for his country already.

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Rasmus Hojlund names ex-Manchester United star as his toughest opponent in Serie A

Rasmus Hojlund previously named former Manchester United defender Chris Smaling as the toughest opponent he came across in Serie A. As the youngster edges closer to a switch to Old Trafford, his statement about the English defender resurfaced.

Earlier this month, Hojlund was asked to name the toughest defender he has faced in Italy so far. He told Tuttosport:

"Chris Smalling from Roma gave me the biggest problems. He's an intelligent, agile, fast, physically strong defender. I tried to win duels with him by using my physical strength, but it wasn't the winning move. I still have to find the right key to overcome it."

Smalling has been a key player for AS Roma since initially arriving on a loan deal from Manchester United in 2019. He secured a permanent £17 million transfer to Stadio Olimpico after impressing for the Serie A side on loan.