Manchester United and Denmark midfielder, Christian Eriksen, has given his two cents on the Red Devils’ incoming new striker, Rasmus Højlund, after the club reportedly reached an agreement to sign the young Dane last week.
Rasmus Winther Højlund had been one of a number of centre-forwards on Man United‘s list of transfer targets over the past few months, alongside the likes of England captain Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
However, after interest in the Premier League marksman and Serie A’s top goalscorer seems to have cooled, United stepped up their pursuit of the Atlanta striker and managed to get a deal over the line on Sunday, 30 July for an estimated fee of £72 million including add-ons.
Ahead of Højlund flying to Manchester on Tuesday afternoon to finalise his move, according to Sky Sports, his fellow compatriot and soon-to-be United teammate, Christian Eriksen, shed some light on what fans can expect from their inbound signing.
Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen shares his thoughts on potential new signings Rasmus Hojland and Andre Onana 💭✍️ pic.twitter.com/y0gbo1rkQP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 31, 2023
Eriksen shares his thoughts on what Højlund might bring to Old Trafford.
Speaking to media after Erik ten Hag and co.’s final pre-season game against Borussia Dortmund (which ended in a 3-2 defeat), the 31-year-old admitted that while he hadn’t seen much of the football he played over in Italy last season, the youngster has left a good impression on international duty.
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“He’s a strong number nine and has developed a lot in the last year from when I first saw him with the national team”, Eriksen told the likes of Simon Peach and Melissa Reddy in the post-match interviews.
Labelling him a “nice guy” and “very good player” already, the creative midfielder who arrived at Old Trafford last year said Højlund is turning into an out-and-out striker both for his national team and Atalanta, joking that many might not have heard him prior to the transfer rumours because of the lake of media attention in Denmark.
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Many supporters were also pleased to learn recently that it isn’t just his finishing ability they can look forward to (being dubbed by some as ‘the next Haaland‘) but that he always has quite the turn of pace when his legs get going — the fastest in the Atalanta squad and faster than Rashford in some instances.
How Rasmus Højlund's top speed compares to the fastest #mufc players last season:
– 𝐇ø𝐣𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐝: 𝟑𝟓.𝟗𝟕 𝐤𝐦/𝐡 – Rashford: 35.95 km/h – Dalot: 35.76 km/h – Antony: 35.29 km/h – Shaw: 34.85 km/h – Malacia: 34.76 km/h
Although many have laughed off the comparison between Højlund and Haaland — the former registering scoring 16 goals and seven assists in 41 appearances last season compared to the Norwegian’s record-breaking Premier League tally and 41 goals in the same number of games at his age — there’s clearly a lot of buzz around the soon-to-be-announced signing.
The young forward is expected to be announced imminently after apparently arriving in Manchester to sign on the dotted line, as per Fabrizio Romano, and will reportedly sign a five-year contract with an option of extending for a further year.
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If you want a better idea of the kind of player United are getting their hands on, you can watch Rasmus Højlund highlights from the 2022/23 season down below:
He might not quite be the ‘next Haaland’ but he doesn’t look half bad.
Exciting new CGIs released of £500m Therme Manchester wellness resort as construction continues
Emily Sergeant
As construction continues on Manchester’s massive wellness resort, some new CGIs have now been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed, construction of the £500 million Therme Manchester wellness resort officially began last September after several years of planning, and now developers have released some exciting new CGIs – with an update on how construction is going, as a new milestone has been reached this week.
Set to open to the public in 2029, Therme Manchester will become one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world.
Visitors can expect to make the most of a 10 pools – both lagoon and wave pools included – thermal bathing, multi-sensory sauna rituals, steam rooms, 18 water slides, affordably-priced luxury spa therapies, and health and fitness experiences.
Exciting new CGIs released of Therme Manchester have been released / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of Therme Manchester will be three distinct zones, each offering a different way to spend time at the resort.
Play will bring together water-based fun and attractions for families and visitors of all ages, and Restore will focus on thermal bathing and restorative experiences designed to help visitors unwind, while Relax will offer spaces for relaxation and wellbeing.
The latest CGIs showcase the design as it develops – including the resort’s extensive indoor and outdoor spaces, and its 53,000sq ft wellbeing garden.
Construction is still underway on the £500m wellness resort / Credit: Supplied
The plans also feature a new public plaza designed to strengthen connections between the resort and the Bridgewater Canal.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, said: “We have taken the opportunity to refine the design, improve how traffic and parking are managed and create a more welcoming environment for everyone arriving at the resort.
“We are creating an even better experience for visitors while supporting more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025, but it’s now up to £500m and is scheduled to complete it 2029.
It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.
Featured Image – Supplied
Sport
Manchester City release limited-edition Blossoms shirts exclusively in new flagship store
Daisy Jackson
Manchester City have released a limited run of special Blossoms shirts, which will be available exclusively at the new flagship City Store.
Etihad Airways has donated the front-of-shirt space for the special drop, which celebrates the Stockport band’s lifelong support of Man City and will fundraise forCity in the Community’s 40th anniversary.
The Manchester City x Blossoms collab features the band’s logo across the chest of the 2024/25 season’s away shirt – one of the Club’s most popular designs in recent years.
Profits from sales of the shirts will be donated to CITC to support its 40th anniversary fundraising, which empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
Blossoms have just secured their fifth UK number one album with their latest release, ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’, and will soon be heading on an arena tour that includes two massive shows at the Co-op Live.
There’s a very limited run of the Man City Blossoms shirts, available in sizes small to large, which will exclusively be sold at the new flagship CityStore.
The shirts have dropped in-store this morning, with further drops to be released around the band’s tour dates this November and December.
As for that new City store – it’s a whopping 21,000 sq ft, three-floor space at Medlock Square, right beside the Etihad Stadium, and is the biggest shop in the club’s history.
The new flagship has opened today in collaboration with PUMA and Stichd, and features a new, interactive ‘Make It Yours’ customisation station as well as an expanded range of Manchester City products.
Danny Jones -
1st August 2023 
