Report: AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic set to team up with $87 million Manchester United star
With just over a week to go before the 2025–26 season officially begins, Christian Pulisic‘s AC Milan have yet to finalize their roster. Despite several moves this summer, the Italian side continue their pursuit of a top-tier forward—and their primary target appears to be a Manchester United player.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rasmus Hojlund is among Milan’s top choices to bolster their attack for the upcoming campaign. The Danish striker joined the Red Devils two years ago from Atalanta for €75 million (around $87 million), but his performances have been underwhelming.
In two seasons in England, Hojlund played 95 matches and scored 26 goals across all competitions—numbers that fall short given the hefty investment United made. Now, with the arrival of Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United reportedly finalized, Hojlund’s future at Old Trafford seems uncertain.
“The asking price for Hojlund is around €34.5 million, but the feeling is that the price and even the terms are further negotiable,” La Gazzetta dello Sport reports. However, the Italian outlet explains that the deal will not follow a similar structure to Marcus Rashford’s move to Barcelona, involving an initial loan with an option to buy.
“United isn’t willing to grant it now because Hojlund earns much less than Rashford (a third, €4 million versus €13 million),” the report adds. “And because they hope to cash in on his departure to partially finance the Sesko deal.”
Hojlund’s stance on Milan interest
Given his recent struggles, harsh criticism, and the arrival of new competition for his position, Rasmus Hojlund reportedly welcomes the idea of leaving Manchester United this summer.
“AC Milan’s initial contact with Rasmus has been positive, ever since he was offered the deal in recent weeks: he’d like to try a new adventure in Serie A,” La Gazzetta dello Sport reports. “He’s said yes to the transfer, but now they’ll have to evaluate AC Milan’s moves.”
Milan’s attacking options
This summer, AC Milan parted ways with two of their most-used forwards from last season: Luka Jovic moved to AEK Athens in Greece, while Tammy Abraham joined Besiktas in Turkey. Without them, the Italian side lost 14 goals from last season and are now left with Santiago Gimenez as their only center-forward, flanked by wingers Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao.
Given that context, it makes sense for Milan to be actively pursuing another striker. In addition to Hojlund, the club has also been linked to Dusan Vlahovic, who has spent the past four years with Juventus. However, the Serbian striker’s high salary and the reportedly steep fee Juventus are asking make that move less likely.