Can Rasmus Hojlund handle the No.9 burden? Man Utd's unpolished £75m striker risks following Anthony Martial's path if he doesn't hit the ground running in 2024-25

Hojlund arrived at Old Trafford carrying a back problem, which saw his debut pushed back to September 23. He came off the bench in a 3-1 away defeat to Arsenal, and was the biggest positive for United as he held the ball up well and injected some real urgency into their attack. But it would turn out to be a false dawn.

The former Atalanta man failed to score in any of his next 14 Premier League appearances, which led to reports that some United players were reluctant to pass to him. Hojlund rubbished those claims, but there was no denying the fact the Red Devils lacked a cutting edge in the first half of the season, and that had a lot to do with his poor finishing.

The Champions League would become a sanctuary for Hojlund during that frustrating period, as he scored five goals in the group stage - albeit while ultimately being unable to prevent United suffering a humiliating early exit - but four of them came against Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Hojlund looked like a fish out of water against top Premier League opposition, and heading into the festive period there must have been a lot of worried faces in the United boardroom given their huge investment in his talent.

To Hojlund's credit, though, he never let his head drop. And publicly, Ten Hag always stood by him. “We bought a player for this season but also for the future," said the Dutch head coach. "He has to develop. He has to progress. He needs time.”

Hojlund also became a figure of ridicule on social media, after his 'lookalike' Sean Mills - an Australian singer - sent a series of motivational videos to the United forward, incorporating his popular song 'Waiting on a Miracle'. That single, which rival fans shared after every game that saw Hojlund extend his barren run, went to No.1 in the UK viral chart on December 23.

But just three days later, Hojlund had the last laugh. The 'miracle' finally arrived, as the Dane volleyed home a superb late goal against Aston Villa to seal a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory for United.

The floodgates opened thereafter, with Hojlund finding the net six times in his next five Premier League outings, including a poacher's brace against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road. "Let me say thanks to my team-mates and the coach because they have shown me great confidence and kept believing in me," he said after the game. "I knew as well that I could score goals but of course, it was annoying I didn't score in the Premier League. Now, I want to keep going."

Unfortunately, a muscle injury then stopped Hojlund in his tracks. He sat out United's next three games, and when he returned in a 1-1 draw against Brentford on March 30, that ruthless streak disappeared again.

Hojlund scored just once in his next eight appearances, prompting Ten Hag to drop him to the bench. United finished their Premier League campaign with wins over Newcastle and Brighton, and Hojlund was among the scorers in both games after coming on as a second-half substitute, but tellingly, Ten Hag decided to play without a centre-forward again in the FA Cup final.

The Red Devils produced their best performance of the entire season in the Wembley showpiece to upset arch rivals Manchester City, but Hojlund had to make do with a late cameo. Actions speak louder than words, and if Ten Hag had complete trust in the youngster, there is no way he'd have left him out of his line up for such an important fixture.

Hojlund will have to make the most of every minute he gets in the coming season, because the spotlight will be shining more brightly on him than ever before. The United No.9 comes with the weight of history, because it was once worn by the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton, treble-winner Andy Cole and the brilliant Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov.

In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, only one man has proven to be worthy of the shirt: a certain Swede named Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who fired 27 goals in his first season despite being 34 years of age. Radamel Falcao and Romelu Lukaku were major flops, and although Martial spent nine years at Old Trafford, he never really came close to fulfilling his potential.

Martial's body couldn't hold up to the physical demands of the Premier League, especially towards the end of his time with the Red Devils, and he never felt like a natural fit in a central striker role. The same could be said of Hojlund right now.

The Danish ace should look at Martial's United career as a cautionary tale. The Frenchman didn't put in the work necessary to succeed at one of the world's biggest clubs. With each passing year it became clearer he wasn't up to the task, and it showed in his general demeanour.

There is still plenty of hope for Hojlund, and he seems to be far more dedicated than Martial when it comes to trying to improve his game, but 10 Premier League goals won't be enough in 2024-25. United need him to record at least double that amount, if they are to have any realistic hope of getting back into the Champions League. He's had his settling in period; now it's time to deliver.

Hojlund's chances of defying his doubters have been boosted by Ruud van Nistelrooy's return to Old Trafford. The former Dutch marksman, who scored 95 goals in 150 appearances for United between 2001 and 2006, has signed on as Ten Hag's new assistant, with Rene Heke and Andreas Georgson also joining the coaching staff.

If anyone can transform Hojlund into a ruthless goal machine, it's Van Nistelrooy. The Oranje legend was the ultimate fox in the box, as evidenced by the fact only one of his goals for United came from outside the penalty area, and he will be surely be able to pass on plenty of wisdom.

"I love a certain way of playing. At Manchester United, Sir Alex was always pushing us forward," Van Nistelrooy recently told The Coaches' Voice. "Look forward, play forward, get crosses in, shoot on target. As a player, I loved the way that made me feel. I wanted to play like that, and I want to transmit that same feeling to my teams, to my players."

In fairness to Hojlund, he was starved of quality service last season, as the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro all wasted possession far too frequently and failed to pick out the Dane's intelligent runs in behind. With Van Nistelrooy hammering home his preferred style of play, that should change.

Hojlund is also set to benefit from United's capture of Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee. The Red Devils have spent £33.5m ($43m) on the 23-year-old, which could end up being a bargain fee if he can pick up from where he left off in Serie A.

On the surface it may look like the Netherlands international has been brought in to compete with Hojlund for a central striker berth, but Ten Hag's tactics towards the end of last season suggest he is planning to play them together. United looked a much more balanced team when Ten Hag ditched his usual 4-2-3-1 formation for a 4-2-2-2, with Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay essentially operating as split strikers, and it's entirely possible that Hojlund and Zirkzee will now take up those roles.

Zirkzee is an ideal target man due to his imposing physical frame and impressive technical skills. He will come short to receive the ball, helping United stay compact in the centre of the pitch in the process, while Hojlund plays on the shoulder of the last defender.

Too often United's counter-attacks came to nothing last term because Hojlund had no one to play off. But Zirkzee is an intelligent, tricky player with quick feet, and will open up space for his team-mates.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Zirkzee will hit the ground running in the Premier League, which is undoubtedly more fast-paced than Serie A, but in theory, he and Hojlund have all the attributes to form a deadly partnership.

Hojlund sat out United's first two pre-season games as he took in a holiday after serving for his country at Euro 2024, but he has been included in Ten Hag's squad for their tour of the United States.

Supporters hoped that Hojlund would come back refreshed, having looked well off the pace on the international stage. The United ace didn't notch a single goal or assist in Germany, and had a nightmare in the final third as Denmark crashed out against the tournament hosts in the last-16. Kasper Hjulmand's men lost 2-0, but the final result might have been very different if Hojlund had been more clinical, with three great chances going begging.

“I should have scored today, and I know that. You become the hero when you score, and then you become the villain when you don’t. I take that responsibility 100 per cent on my shoulders, even though I’m young, and it’s my first tournament,” he told Danish TV after the final whistle.

“It has not affected me at all. Of course, I want to score goals. That’s what I do for a living. I can be a little frustrated after a game, but at the same time I know that my development is going in the right direction."

Fears of a summer hangover looked to have been eased as Hojlund made his first appearance of pre-season against Arsenal on Saturday, as he opened the scoring with a fine finish inside the first 10 minutes. However, the injury issues that plagued his debut campaign reared their ugly head soon after, as an apparent hamstring injury forced him off in Los Angeles a matter of moments later.

Ten Hag will hope that his first-choice striker's injury is not so serious that it rules him out for the start of the upcoming campaign, but regardless, it's still not clear from the outside whether he is on the right track. United certainly need a lot more from Hojlund. Remember, Harry Kane was the club's first-choice target in their striker hunt last summer, and the Bayern Munich star would have guaranteed goals.

The decision to settle for Hojlund will be seen as a huge mistake if he can't prove his worth over the next 12 months. United are taking positive steps towards a potential revival, but it will ultimately hinge on whether their new No.9 sinks or swims.