Steve Nicol has claimed that prospective Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund is nowhere near the same level as his Liverpool counterpart Darwin Nunez.
Just as the Reds made the Uruguayan their marquee centre-forward arrival last summer for an initial £64m (BBC Sport), their Old Trafford rivals are expected to clinch the signature of the Atalanta and Denmark striker for £72m imminently (Daily Mail).
Comparisons between the two already appear to have been drawn in some quarters, but the Scottish pundit insists that the Red Devils’ impending acquisition has quite a way to go before meriting a mention in the same bracket as the 24-year-old.
Nicol told ESPN FC: “Nunez didn’t get the run of the games in the team that Hojlund got, for a start. I don’t think Hojlund is anywhere close to where Nunez is right now. Hojlund, for £75m? I’m sorry, I don’t see where the £75m comes from.
“I see the £80m they spent on Nunez. I can see why they would do that, just because strength, power, the way he runs in behind.
“Yes, the one piece of the puzzle that’s missing is that composure in front of goal, but talk about get in position to score. Hojlund doesn’t do that. He certainly hasn’t done it yet.”
The two strikers actually posted identical averages for their respective clubs last season, with 0.48 goals and 0.16 assists per 90 minutes on the pitch (FBref).
However, while Nunez has proven himself over a number of years at a high level with 83 club career goals, including 10 in the Champions League, Hojlund is still a rising prospect with 27 senior strikes and no prior exposure to Europe’s premier club tournament (Transfermarkt).
The Dane could go on to be a smash hit at Old Trafford, but for now he’s yet to prove he can excel at the highest level in European football in the same manner that the Liverpool marksman has done.
You can see Nicol’s comments below (from 3:53), via ESPN FC on YouTube: