Scholes says Hojlund has been “flogged to death” and much of his poor form is down to confidence
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has defended Rasmus Hojlund, urging the club to keep faith in the 22-year-old striker and bolster the forward line around him with experienced reinforcements.
Hojlund, signed for £72 million from Atalanta in 2023, has endured a poor run in front of goal since arriving at Old Trafford. His 26 goals in 95 appearances are modest returns for a striker of such expectation, and in 2025, he has managed just three goals, against Leicester, Bournemouth and Athletic Club.
But Scholes believes Hojlund’s struggles aren’t about ability but overexposure, fatigue and a lack of assistance in forward areas.
“I’d keep Hojlund,” Scholes said on the Overlap Fan Debate. “I know he’s not been great but he’s a 22-year-old kid who has been asked to play centre-forward for Manchester United on his own for the last two years.
“He’s had to play every week. He’s the only one there. With the way they play, Man United should have at least three top centre-forwards, and I’d bring him into that.”
The former club midfielder called specifically for the additions of Victor Osimhen from Napoli and Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting, two prolific strikers with Champions League experience and physical presence. He believes experienced forwards could accelerate Højlund’s development
“Hojlund has struggled like mad of late especially, but he’s not got the chance to sit down and watch,” said Scholes.
“If a striker is not doing well, no confidence, the manager sits you down and says, ‘have a look, get a bit of hunger back, a bit of feeling back for the game.’
“We all know he has got centre-forward qualities, we’ve seen it. Not enough, I know that, but if he has got experience around him, say he had Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke around him, it’d bring him on so much.
“He’s been absolutely flogged to death. People forget how old he is. A lot of it is confidence.”
