Michael Owen Backs Rasmus Højlund for Man United Redemption: ‘Who’s To Say He’s Not Really Good?’

Michael Owen believes Rasmus Højlund deserves a second chance to prove his worth at Manchester United, suggesting the striker’s struggles at Old Trafford were more a reflection of the team’s dysfunction than his individual ability.

Højlund joined United from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 in a high-profile transfer, but his time in Manchester has been marked by inconsistency and a failure to deliver the kind of returns expected of a marquee signing. Despite that underwhelming record, Owen has pushed back against blanket criticism of the Danish international.

“I don’t care who you play up front, it’s very hard to judge when the team aren’t functioning,” Owen said. “Strikers are the end of the chain, if the chain is broken, it’s pointless in many ways.”

Owen pointed to Højlund’s recent form in Italy as evidence that the striker still has considerable quality, while also drawing a comparison with Benjamin Šeško, another forward whose performances have improved significantly in a better-functioning team environment.

“I would love to see Hojlund and see what he can do now. He played in a Manchester United team that was broken and didn’t have any links and played poorly. Who’s to say he’s not really good? He’s doing really well in Italy now,” Owen added.

“Sesko… it was hard to judge but now that chain throughout the team is actually working, you are seeing a different type of player. I just wonder how much wastage there has been for many years.”

Owen also broadened his argument to address the wider debate surrounding United’s transfer activity in recent years, questioning whether some signings labelled as failures were simply victims of circumstance rather than poor recruitment decisions.

“Everyone says the purchases have been poor and that might be the case but sometimes they might not get a fair crack of the whip because they don’t get the service,” he said.

The comments arrive at a significant juncture for Manchester United, who are navigating a transitional period under new ownership structures and a revised footballing hierarchy. The club has faced sustained scrutiny over player recruitment and team cohesion across multiple managerial cycles.

Højlund’s trajectory mirrors that of several forwards who have passed through Old Trafford in recent years, including Romelu Lukaku and Edinson Cavani, whose United stints were similarly coloured by the team’s broader structural issues. The recurring pattern has fuelled ongoing debate about whether the club’s environment has consistently undermined its attacking talent.

With United expected to reassess their squad in the coming transfer windows, the futures of several forwards — including Højlund — remain subject to speculation. Owen’s intervention adds a notable voice to the argument that any such assessment should account for the context in which those players operated.