Hojlund makes his debut against Arsenal
Hojlund is Man Utd's third rookie this summer, after goalkeeper Andre Onana and midfielder Mason Mount. The Danish striker was bought by the "Red Devils" from Atalanta for 83 million USD in upfront fees and 11 million USD in additional fees, and signed a contract until 2028. But he was injured while playing for Atalanta in the pre-season and Missed all three opening rounds of the Premier League.
During the press conference on September 1, Ten Hag confirmed that Hojlund had recovered, had a good week of training and was ready to play when the team was a guest of Arsenal. "Tomorrow, Man Utd will have the last training session, but Hojlund is doing well, reacting well," said the Dutch coach. "So I think Hojlund is ready for Arsenal. I think he's ready to start."
Man Utd went through a busy last few days of the transfer window, looking for a replacement for injured duo Luke Shaw and Mason Mount. Before Ten Hag's press conference, although not officially announced, Man Utd reached an agreement to borrow Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham on a one-year contract with the option to terminate early in January 2024.
Ten Hag confirmed that Reguilon practiced with his new teammates on September 1 and was ready to play at the Emirates. The Dutch coach rated Reguilon as an experienced player, having fought in the English Premier League and La Liga, considering the 26-year-old Spanish defender a reasonable choice in the context of Shaw and Tyrell Malacia with injuries.
At the same time as Ten Hag press conference, Man Utd reached an agreement to borrow midfielder Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina for a fee of $ 11 million with an option to buy for $ 27 million in the summer of 2024. However, the Morocco midfielder is unlikely to Registered in time for the match against Arsenal.
Previously, Old Trafford's owner announced rookie Altay Bayindir - a goalkeeper recruited from Fenerbahce for 7 million USD - to be Onana's backup. Bayindir signed a contract until summer 2027 with a one-year extension option, and became the first Turkish player to play for Man Utd.
Ten Hag said he had "watched" Bayindir thoroughly, and assessed that the 25-year-old goalkeeper is suitable for English football, has enough skills to integrate with Man Utd. Similar to Hojlund and Reguilon, Bayindir will be added to the registration list to play against Arsenal.
The Dutch coach also confirmed that the duo Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay will stay at Old Trafford. "Man Utd went through a difficult schedule last season, and played in the FA Cup final," Ten Hag said. "So we have a summer break, a short pre-season, and need quantity and quality in the squad. Man Utd has depth and quality players, they can play in many situations. different and we are ready to fight".
Regarding the match against Arsenal, the 53-year-old coach said: "This is one of the biggest matches in the Premier League, and the whole team is really looking forward to playing. These are always exciting, tense matches between the two clubs playing. attacking football".
