'My plan is to stay' - Rasmus Hojlund vows to 'fight' for Man Utd spot 'whatever happens' as Danish striker welcomes potential competition from Benjamin Sesko

Manchester United have ramped up their pursuit of Sesko this summer while on tour in the United States. Hojlund scored his first pre-season goal in United’s 4-1 win over Bournemouth in Chicago, and responded defiantly to news of the club's pursuit of Sesko post-match, expressing his desire to fight for his role regardless of whether a new No.0 arrives at Old Trafford.

Speaking to the media after the game, Hojlund said: “Does anyone want to talk to me? The club has told me nothing so far [about his future]. The most important thing for me is just to keep working hard and stay focused, and then obviously we'll see what happens. My plan is very clear, and that is for me to stay and fight for my spot, whatever happens.

“Competition is fine with me, it sharpens me. I'm more than ready. I'm feeling sharp, so I'm welcoming everything that comes. It's good with competition, and it only sharpens the team. When I came to the club, Anthony Martial was there as well. He had a lot of injuries, so I had to take a lot of the game time.

“That's just part of it, and you're not going to tell me that I shouldn't be playing because I want to play every game. But I could have done with some help in terms of sharing the games a bit, especially at the beginning. Now I feel like I've matured a lot, and I feel like I'm ready for what's coming.

“I’m definitely convinced I can deliver goals for this team. I'm still very young. People forget that sometimes. I'm only 22.

“Not every striker is scoring 100 goals at the age of 22. But I've learned a lot, I think you can see in my game. I'm starting to develop and become even better at the basics. Now it's just about for me to sharpen myself, and I've done very well in the pre-season so far, so I’m just focusing on continuing that.”

Hojlund admitted that he didn’t meet expectations last season, but believes the team and his own game are improving. He highlighted the value of experience and said he’s matured over the past year. At 22, the striker remains confident in his growth and ability to contribute goals.

Hojlund added: “Last season was a bit rough and I've tried to sharpen myself over the course of the holidays. It was a tough season on us all. I should have done better, everybody knows.

“But it's a team thing, that we're going to be better now. We've shown now in these two games that we're progressing in the right way and looking forward to what's coming. Now I feel very, very good.”

Manchester United will continue their pre-season in the United States with a clash against Everton in Atlanta. Sesko’s potential arrival could further intensify the competition in United’s forward line. Hojlund, though, will remain focused on maintaining his momentum and proving himself this season.