Rasmus Hojlund's debut wasn't the only thing delayed at the start of his Manchester United career, there was also a hold up for fans wanting his named printed on shirts at the club shop.
Hojlund completed a big-money move from Atalanta in early August that could eventually see United pay £72m if add-ons are triggered. The 20-year-old Dane, seemingly the club's answer to Erling Haaland as a tall, quick and deadly Scandinavian striker with an enormous ceiling, was carrying an injury at the time from his pre-season in Italy and first had to build his fitness.
United also decided against assigning their most expensive summer buy a squad number straightaway. Many assumed that, while he couldn't play anyway, the club were waiting for movement in the transfer market to free up the number 17 shirt he had worn previously at Atalanta.
Fred's exit to Fenerbahce did exactly that, although Hojlund ended up taking the 11 shirt – the same one he usually wears internationally for Denmark – when Mason Greenwood was moved out on loan.
The news of his number was announced on the morning of United's Premier League clash with Arsenal, a game in which the player made his debut off the bench. But fans were still unable to buy his shirt from the club shop because of a lettering issue.
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The Daily Mail has reported that United didn’t have the Ø letters that forms part of Danish and Norwegian language and is Hojlund's chosen way to have his name on his shirt spelled. The stock of letters is said to have finally arrived last Thursday with the shirt now on sale, although fans were still bizarrely informed the following day that they hadn’t and there would be an update this week.
With a lengthy period of stoppage time tacked onto the Arsenal game, Hojlund got more than half an hour on the pitch and generally impressed. He didn't see all that much of the ball, but his movement looked sharp and there was one moment in particular in which he sprinted right through the middle of Arsenal's defence, only for Marcus Rashford to not see the run.
During this month's international break, Hojlund was introduced in the 59th minute of Denmark's 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over San Marino last Thursday and then played the whole second half of a follow-up 1-0 win against Nordic neighbours Finland on Sunday.
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On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss discuss Man Utd's loss at Arsenal, Rasmus Hojlund's promising debut, Jadon Sancho's social media outburst and more!
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This article was originally published on 90min as Why Man Utd had to delay selling Rasmus Hojlund shirts.
